Motorcycle crashes killed fifty one people in our province last year, a sharp increase from an average of thirty three people the previous five years.

Mark Milner, Road Safety Program Manager for ICBC says distracted driving is a factor in a lot of cases. “Drivers really need to be paying attention to the task of driving, focusing on what’s going on around them and really looking for motorcycles.”

“Motorcycles are harder to see at the best of times but you’re definitely not going to notice them if you’re not looking for them.”

Milner says motorcyclists are also guilty of being distracted, saying he’s seen an increase of riders with cell phones and GPS devices on their handle bars.

He also says having the proper gear, long pants and a jacket as opposed to shorts and a t-shirt, greatly lessen the severity of injuries in most crashes.

{Image: Pixabay}