As the Summer season gets underway, motorcyclists throughout the Greater Calgary Area start revving their engines and heading out to enjoy the clear skies and the open roads. The Calgary Motorcycle Awareness Ride took place just this past week as part of the kickoff to the season, and to help raise awareness regarding motorcycle safety and the need for everyone to share Calgary’s roads and highways.
Unfortunately, this past week also witnessed the death of a Lethbridge man who was struck from behind while on his motorcycle. The incident occurred on the evening of Saturday, May 14 on Highway 512 near the intersection of Range Road 211 on the outskirts of Lethbridge. Initial reports suggest that the motorcyclist was slowing to make a left hand turn when he was struck.
He was taken by ambulance to Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge where he later died from his injuries. The driver of the other vehicle was also taken to the hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.
“Let’s share the road with our motorcycle drivers and be aware that they’re out there,” said Staff Sergeant Glenn Henry of the Coaldale RCMP. “This is a terrible event. There’s a family that’s completely devastated as a result of this incident last night. Lives have changed.”
RCMP kept a section of the highway closed throughout Saturday night as they continued their investigation.
The RCMP has not officially laid blame in this case, and we cannot comment on the specifics of this case. We can note, however, that in most rear-end collisions the driver in the rear is considered to be at fault for the accident—with a forward direction of travel, it is that driver’s responsibility to maintain a safe distance from vehicles in front, and to brake as necessary to avoid a collision. This is true regardless of whether the vehicles involved are motorcycles, cars, trucks, or other vehicles.
This accident should serve as a warning to all drivers of all vehicles to be very careful on the roads this summer. Though winter weather can make driving conditions more dangerous, Calgary drivers tend to be far more cautious in the winter. This is why the colder seasons see more accidents than summer, but far fewer traffic fatalities: some people think the improved conditions are an excuse to speed, to be reckless, and to stop paying attention, and incidents like these can be the result.
This should also serve as another warning to motorcyclists in the area that strong rear lights and other visibility-increasing measures are extremely important for your safety, especially at nighttime. Though there is nothing to indicate that this accident was the fault of the motorcyclist, and though motorcycles have as much right to be on the road as any other vehicle, neither of those facts will serve as consolation to your family if you are killed in an accident.
Contacting a Calgary Personal Injury Lawyer for Your Motorcycle Accident Case
If you or a family member has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident in the Greater Calgary Area, you may be entitled to compensation. For a free initial consultation, please contact our office today.