Good weather in 2013 meant more motorcycle accidents
Posted December 31, 2013 12:04 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Warm, dry weather made 2013 a fantastic year to take a drive, but those sunny days ended up causing more danger for motorcyclists. While you may think that wet roads would mean more accidents around the Lower Mainland, Gary Richardson with the BC Association for Injured Motorcyclists says the opposite is true. He says more sunny days than normal in 2013 meant many more bikers heading out for Sunday drives, and more accidents on Metro Vancouver roads.
“It was 50 riders [AIM] helped this year… The weather has a big effect,” says Richardson, adding that amounts to around 200 visitations for AIM workers helping with rehabilitation.
While 50 may not seem like a lot, but that number is up from the 36 riders injured last year and not inclusive of all accidents in the Lower Mainland and across BC. Richardson says the reason for the rise is simply more people riding during dry conditions.
“People who drive cars aren’t expecting to see a motorcycle. Sometime they don’t realize the motorcycle is closer than they think it is. Our biggest problem is left hand turns. When we’re coming into an intersection, [car drivers] will pull out right in front of motorcyclists and we’ve got nowhere to go,” warns Richardson.
He recommends bikers always wear bright colours and reflective gear, and warns all drivers to watch out for motorcycles on the roads.
