2023-05-13 23:30:00
The series of motorcyclist deaths in the past week is a stark call for vigilance for all road users, experts say.
• Read also: A motorcyclist dies on the highway in Boisbriand
• Read also: Montreal: a motorcyclist seriously injured in a collision
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“It’s not something I’ve seen very regularly. It’s something rare, unfortunate, notes Marco Harrison, road safety expert at CAA-Quebec. We need to educate people to stop it.”
Overnight from Thursday to Friday, a 31-year-old motorcyclist died, becoming the seventh person to die on a motorcycle in a week on the roads of the province, according to a count carried out by The newspaper.
Photo Agence QMI, Erik Peters
Jeanlou Richard reportedly lost control of his car around 1:30 a.m., in a curve at the junction of Highway 13, in Boisbriand, on the North Shore of Montreal.
Jeanlou Richard reportedly lost control of his car around 1:30 a.m., in a curve at the junction of Highway 13, in Boisbriand, on the North Shore of Montreal.
A few hours earlier, a 43-year-old motorcyclist had been seriously injured in a collision with a vehicle in the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. His life was not in danger, however, said the Montreal police.
Erik Peters / QMI Agency
A man was seriously injured following a collision on rue Notre-Dame Est in Montreal, at the corner of rue Georges-Bizet.
“At the speed we started this year, if it continues like this, [le bilan] going to be disastrous,” worries Marco Harrison.
He implores motorcyclists taking advantage of the beautiful sun to exercise caution.
“Don’t be part of the statistics,” says the expert.
Explosion of permits
The start of the season, which is marked by deaths, is shaking users, says Sylvain Bergeron, president of the Fédération motocycliste du Québec (FMQ).
“We plunge back into a reality […] very sad [qui est] that the motorcycle, it does not forgive, ”he summarizes.
Since the pandemic, there are some 20,000 more motorcycle licenses across the province, says Sylvain Bergeron.
“There are more people on the road, so there are more risks. There are people who may lack a bit of experience, says the president of the FMQ. You have to adapt to the conditions at all times.”
Reflexes to recover following winter
According to Marco Harrison, motorcyclists should take the time to gradually regain their reflexes at the end of the winter break.
“Maybe they should take it a little slower, take a little longer than normal to react better, also get to a place where they are able to regain control of certain maneuvers,” he suggests.
At the same time, other motorists are called upon to be more alert when the return of motorcycles comes.
Courtesy CAA-QUEBEC
Marco Harrison is a road safety specialist at CAA-Quebec.
“People [qui conduisent des voitures ou des camions] may not be paying enough attention. They are more vulnerable users. They are smaller. You have to be vigilant,” says the expert.
According to a partial report from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), 51 people occupying motorcycles died in 2022, down more than 20% compared to 2021.
We also note that 210 people were seriously injured, down almost 9%.
– With Erika Aubin
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