Drivers play a vital role in Motorcycle safety.

As May begins, the warm weather welcomes more motorcyclists on the roads and signals the official launch of Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. This year, the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC) is reminding all drivers that sharing the road means sharing the responsibility.

“Distracted drivers are killing motorcyclists,” says Dave Millier, MCC Chair. Despite the introduction of stricter laws and penalties for distracted driving in Canada, it is still a common and rising issue.

Automobiles are safer and more comfortable than ever before for drivers; however, those things lead to a false sense of security and a detachment from the driving experience. “Drivers are not in their living room, they are operating a vehicle,” says Millier. “Distractions, including mobile phones, eating and drinking, and onboard technology takes attention away from the real task at hand – driving.”

Previous statistics throughout the provinces show that a lot of collisions involving motorcycles were due to automobile drivers not paying attention. For instance, in British Columbia, drivers are at fault about 80% of the time where a motorcyclist is injured during a crash. Police and the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia report that distracted drivers and drivers that fail to yield are the top reasons for the collisions between automobiles and motorcycles.

“We always ask motorcyclists to ride within speed limits and skill level, wear all the gear all the time and make yourself visible to other road users,” says Millier. “On behalf of every motorcyclist in Canada, we want to remind all motorists that motorcycle safety is everyone’s responsibility. We share the road. Let’s share the responsibility.”

Drivers are encouraged to take the Motorcycle Safety Pledge, a promise to friends and loved ones to advocate and spread awareness for motorcycle safety.

Visit motorcycling.ca to take the Pledge.