The Winnipeg Police Service and some motorcycle organizations are urging caution to all road users following recent motorcycle collisions within city limits.
On Tuesday, Winnipeg police responded to a single-vehicle crash involving a motorcycle on Lagimodiere Boulevard that sent the motorcycle driver to hospital. The driver remained in hospital on Wednesday in stable condition. Police say it appears the motorcycle struck a curb before losing control.
On Friday, a 28-year-old male driver of a motorcycle died after a two-vehicle collision on McGillivray Boulevard.
Officers believe the way the motorcyclists were driving, and likely speed, were factors in both accidents.
Sgt. Stephane Boulet of the Winnipeg Police Service’s traffic division says all motorists need to use extreme caution while sharing the roadways.
“As a motorcyclist you have to be aware of your surroundings, be ready to react to anything that may happen in front of you or beside you,” Sgt. Boulet told Global News. “And same thing for regular motorists — motorcycles are a smaller vehicle on the roadway, they don’t occupy a full laneway, so obviously just be aware of your surroundings.”
Sgt. Boulet adds that applies to all motorcyclists and drivers, no matter their level of experience.
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“As a rider, you may feel confident (but) you need to give yourself the room and space to stop and react to anything that may come in front of you,” he added.
“Even though you’re a confident rider, we have to be aware that other people may not have seen you, may not have heard you.”
According to data from the Winnipeg Police Service, so far in 2023, officers have responded to nine collisions involving a motorcycle, including one on Talbot Avenue in June that sent an off-duty officer to hospital. Of those collisions, only the recent crash on McGillivray last Friday was fatal.
Last year, WPS responded to 12 motorcycle collisions, down from 2021 and 2020, when police investigated 23 and 31 motorcycle crashes, respectively.
Outside city limits, Manitoba RCMP have responded to two motorcycle fatalities so far this year, including one on Highway 8 last month where a motorcycle collided with a tractor pulling farm equipment.
Anton Ross De St. Croix, the chief executive officer of the Canadian Motorcycle Association, says it falls both motorcyclists and drivers to gauge speed and be aware of their surroundings and blind spots.
“As car drivers, I feel we’re not able to judge the speed that the bike is going because it’s just a tiny dot on the horizon. And if excessive speed is involved, then nobody can sort of judge that at all,” De St. Croix said.
“We still have a long way to go to educate our public and car drivers about noticing motorcycles and vice-versa — educate the bike riders about what you’re seeing on YouTube these days.”
Motorcyclists need to leave excessive speed at the racetrack, he said, adding that speeding is something he feels is made worse by social media.
“There’s a place for it, a place on the racetrack for that kind of speed,” he said.
“We just have to sort of let people know that it’s not as cool as they see on social media. I think the social media side has sort of created this image that that’s what you do when you go out and buy a bike.”
Peter McDonald, the vice-president of the Coalition of Manitoba Motorcycle Groups, says serious accidents can be avoided, if safety is kept paramount.
“I think it’s important for everyone to follow the rules of the road,” McDonald said.
“Obviously on a motorcycle you’re less protected than a car. But if you do exercise proper defensive driving, if you are aware of what’s going on, if you are watching your surroundings, I think a motorcycle can be every bit as safe as a car.”
According to data from Statistics Canada and Transport Canada, 242 motorcycle and moped riders died in Canada in 2022, which is the highest number in 20 years and a 24 per cent increase from the year prior. The data also states that while motorcyclists represent two per cent of road users, they account for 10 per cent of all road fatalities.
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