Newmarket Bike Nights organizer Amy Ross urges everyone on the roads to pay attention and slow down.
Every week in the summer, she joins dozens of motorcyclists at a friendly gathering in Newmarket. She said they are aware of the risks on the road and do what they can to mitigate them by dressing well. There is an expression they use: “Dress for the slide, not for the ride.”
“The rider's onus to look at every single car as a hired assassin,” she said. “We have to. Because if you don’t, (it) could be the last time you’re going out on the street.”
The community has been reeling after the tragic death of a Newmarket doctor July 18, after his motorcycle was reportedly hit by a vehicle making a turn onto Leslie Street from a plaza. That was followed by another motorcycle death in Georgina July 21, in a collision between an SUV and 34-year-old motorcyclist, pronounced dead at the scene. And earlier this week, a 30-year-old East Gwillimbury man was killed on the scene of a collision with a pick-up truck on Highway 400 near Bradford.
The deaths come at a time when Ontario has seen rising motorcycle fatalities in recent years. The OPP has reported more than 370 motorcycle fatalities over the past decade.
Yass Motamedi, another Newmarket-area rider, said hearing about the fatalities always hurts.
“That is the worst thing to hear,” she said. “Everybody gets affected by it.”
She said that drivers need to be paying close attention.
“I would love the drivers to notice us on the road,” she said. “One more second of looking before you turn could have saved a life.”
Justin Gang, a motorcycle instructor at Centennial College who has attended Newmarket Bike Nights, said it can be hard for drivers to see motorcycles well.
“Sometimes motorcyclists think they're invincible when they're out riding, but in reality they're invisible,” Gang said. “Accidents often occur at intersections, especially with left turning, where speed is commonly a factor.”
Chris Doedens, who has been riding motorcycles since 2005, said there are risks in cycling, but there are great rewards with the feel of it and the social aspect.
“We’re all adults, we make our own choices,” Doedens said. “The risk of getting into an accident … is no different than in a car, the only thing is anytime you get into a motorcycle accident, you’re gonna get hurt.”
If you are careful, Doedens said you have a good chance to ride for a long time. But he said many drivers are not faring well.
“I’m a truck driver, too. I see it all the time and people just aren’t paying attention and they’re always in a hurry,” he said. “It’s surprising there aren’t more accidents.”
Despite the risk, Motamedi said motorcycling offers an experience that you cannot get within the confines of a car.
“You are in nature … it kind of focuses your mind on what you’re doing at the moment,” she said. “I just want all the drivers to just look twice, save a life. It sounds like a cliche, but it really works.”