A Road Awareness Safety Campaign "Look Twice - Save a Life" is aimed at making Canadian Roads Safer & Drivers more Aware, has been launched by a group of motorcyclists in the Greater Toronto Area. Avid motorcyclist Shaun de Jager started "Riders for Road Awareness" after a serious collision involving a SUV & Motorcycle, leaving both rider & passenger in serious condition on March 18th, 2009, in Mississauga Ontario.
The Riders for Road Awareness website www.roadawareness.ca has been launched as a private initiative to create awareness of road safety via awareness rally's, special events, the media, and of course the internet. The RoadAwareness.ca website is managed by like-minded individuals and sponsored by companies with an interest in road safety in general. Lack of situational awareness on our roads puts us all at risk. We aim to educate all road users in an effort to make our streets safer for drivers, riders, cyclists & pedestrians alike.
RoadAwareness.ca covers road safety related topics across the board, ranging from driver/rider tips, list of training schools throughout Canada, as well as other safety concerns relating to other roads users, including pedestrians and cyclists.
This ongoing campaign aims to influence all vehicle operators to exercise maximum care and caution, to ensure that Canadian drivers become more aware of their surroundings, and focus on the task of operating their motor vehicle.
The campaign organizers have been hard at work and have made amazing progress in just one week. We look forward to work in partnership with key stakeholders within the transportation industry on this initiative. We now need motorists to heed the advice and drive responsibly.
"There is no excuse for paying anything less than 100 percent attention to the road and our surroundings." -Shaun de Jager
March 19, 2009 10:42 PM - About 50 motorcyclists from across the Greater Toronto Area gathered for a rally tonight near the intersection of Hurontario St. and Eglinton Ave. - the scene of an horrific crash - to remind drivers to be cautious when sharing the road with motorcycles.
With their bikes lined between the road and the sidewalk, the bikers waved signs that read: "Look twice! Save a life!" The rally ran from 7:30-9 p.m.
Shaun de Jager, a Toronto motorcyclist who heard about the accident on an online social forum, said many members of the group are outraged by the accident and sorry for the motorcyclist and his passenger, who suffered serious injuries but are expected to live.
"Unfortunately we've all had close calls," said de Jager, who organized the rally. "Riding a motorcycle does have its inherent dangers, but so does everything in life and these are risks that we take as cautiously as we can."
Mississauga resident Majid Hashemi was at the nearby Second Cup when the crash occurred yesterday. He had just ben out on his motorcycle and the incident really hit home.
"It's right by my house and this patch of pavement, I ride on it everyday." said the 27-year-old, pointing to the spot where the crash happened.
Police are looking into the possibility that the driver of the SUV may have illegally entered the busy Mississauga intersection during rush-hour yesterday.
March 19, 2009 12:20 PM - Police are looking into witness accounts that the driver of an SUV illegally entered a busy Mississauga intersection yesterday before crashing into a motorcycle, sending the driver and his passenger to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Peel Regional Police said today that the motorcyclist, 30, and his female passenger, 22, are expected to live following the rush-hour collision at Hurontario St. and Eglinton Ave.
Motorcyclists from across the GTA are outraged. Several will be at a rally tonight at the intersection because they believe there needs to be increased awareness among drivers of larger vehicles to be cautious sharing the road with motorcyclists. Police will also be at the rally.
"The weather is warming and more and more riders are on the roads. This tragic incident should be a reminder to all that cars share the roads with bikes and that we must all be aware of each other," said Shaun de Jager, an avid motorcyclist who organized the rally. "There is no excuse for paying anything less than 100 per cent attention to the road and our surroundings."
The motorcyclist was airlifted to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto after his Suzuki collided with a Honda CRV at about 5 p.m.
Peel Cst. J.P. Valade said the man's condition has improved. He has serious leg injuries, but is expected to survive.
The passenger was initially taken to Credit Valley Hospital. She was also transferred to Sunnybrook. She, too, is expected to live.
The 62-year-old female driver of the SUV was not injured.
Officers with the Major Collision Bureau are investigating whether the woman entered the intersection improperly, believing she had an advanced green light to make a left turn.
The accident brought traffic to a halt, as police closed off a large area surrounding the intersection. Lane closures lasted well into the night.
I saw you hug your purse closer to you in the grocery store line. But, you didn't see me put an extra $10.00 in the collection plate last Sunday.
I saw you pull your child closer when we passed each other on the sidewalk. But, you didn't see me playing Santa at the local mall.
I saw you change your mind about going into the restaurant. But, you didn't see me attending a meeting to raise more money for the hurricane relief.
I saw you roll up your window and shake your head when I drove by. But, you didn't see me driving behind you when you tossed your cigarette butt out the car window.
I saw you frown at me when I smiled at your children. But, you didn't see me when I took time off from work to run toys to the homeless kids.
I saw you stare at my long hair. But, you didn't see me and my friends cut ten inches off for Locks of Love.
I saw you roll your eyes at our leather coats and gloves. But, you didn't see me and my brothers donate our old coats and gloves to those that had none.
I saw you look in fright at my tattoos. But, you didn't see me cry as my children where born and how I have their names written upon my heart.
I saw you change lanes while rushing off to go somewhere. But, you didn't see me going home to be with my family.
I saw you complain about how loud and noisy our bikes can be. But, you didn't see me when you were changing the CD and drifted into my lane.
I saw you yelling at your kids in the car. But, you didn't see me pat my child's hands, knowing he was safe behind me.
I saw you reading the newspaper or map as you drove down the road. But, you didn't see me squeeze my wife's leg when she told me to take the next turn.
I saw you race down the road in the rain. But, you didn't see me get soaked to the skin so my son could have the car to go on his date.
I saw you run the yellow light just to save a few minutes of time. But, you didn't see me trying to turn right.
I saw you cut me off because you needed to be in the lane I was in. But, you didn't see me leave the road.
I saw you waiting impatiently for my friends to pass. But, you didn't see me...I wasn't there.
I saw you go home to your family. But, you didn't see me...Because I died that day you cut me off.
I was just a biker... A person with friends and a family.
Saturday was nice but ended up being colder than we would of liked but today was brilliant! Once again the sun was shining but this time it was actually warm out. We lucked out with temps rising to a balmy 9degrees celcius, which meant that bikes were out in droves.
Susie and I had a late start to the day due to a late evening out the night before. However, it only took a couple of phone calls and we lined up some fellow riders to head out with. New rider Aaryn on her Kawi 250 and very experienced Vlad on his Bandit 1200S met up with us for a leasurly ride up to Port Perry.
As a new rider, Aaryn is still apprehensive about riding on the highway at speed, so we stuck to riding just under the speed limit allowing cars to freely pass us by. We weren't in any rush anyway and it wasn't long before we got off and took to the slower, more relaxed country roads.
The ride was still a chilly one despite being so nice out. Eventually I figured we could use a break when Susie mentioned her hands were getting cold, which allowed me to throw on an extra layer of clothes and for her to switch to warmer gloves. It also provided Vlad and I to get to know each other better since it was the first time I had actually met him in person despite having talked to each other several times via email or various online forums.
Eventually we arrived in Port Perry and were pleased by the sight of no less than 30 other motorcycles parked at the local Tim Hortons, all in various groups taking a break from their rides.
All types of bikes could be seen from custom cruisers, Harleys, a large showing of SuperSports, various Touring bikes, a couple Enduros and even a white Ural complete with sidecar. Much of our time there was obviously talking about bikes with other owners including one fellow who parked his minivan beside us and left his wife and son to enjoy their lunch inside, while he talked to us about motorcycles and some of the trips he had taken. I made a point to give him my contact info in hopes that we could continue our conversation another time so that he could join his family.
Eventually we had to leave, once again due to time constraints, and we began our journey home. We kept to the back roads and as we rode, Susie and I both started getting fatigued. Exhaustion was catching up to us and Susie even started nodding off behind me. Although we didn't really ride all that far today, we were both feeling it and were glad to get home. I'm sure we will both sleep well tonight.
Soon the weather will be far nicer and we will be able to get out more often and really soak in all the joys that riding brings us. Not much longer...
Saturday marked the first actual ride of 2009 for me. It started out pretty early around 8:30am when my girlfriend Susie and I hopped on my bike and headed out for a proper breakfast. Both of us looking rather plump from all the layers we were wearing, which were certainly needed as the temps hovered around minus 6degrees celius. After breakfast, we made a quick run up to Markham where we were hoping to meet some fellow riders who expressed some interest in tagging along. Alas, nobody showed so it was just Susie and me for a nice, although chilly country tour.
Eventually the cold tempuratures took their toll on us and we had to stop for 30min to regain sensation in our fingers. I know all too well what it's like to get hyperthermia while riding and I certainly didn't want either of use to endure that today.
Our ride eventually continued through Orangeville and then onward to Creemore where I planned to stop for lunch. Along the way we ended up taking some especially beautiful roads and had my fingers not been so cold at that point, I would of loved to stop to take some pictures. I had to remind myself to concentrate on the road, which was still covered in sand with barely 2ft wide sections of actual pavement to ride on through the corners. It was at this moment that I was glad that I didn't have anyone with us who was new to riding or rusty from the off season. Without a doubt, mistakes on this road would have been costly to both body and bike.
Eventually we arrived in Creemore and were grateful for another chance to warm up and for a bite to eat. For those who haven't been through this town before, it is very much a town that time forgot and reminisce of a town from the 1800's...less the horse drawn carriages. We stopped at "The Mill Street" restaurant which is right across the street from the Creemore Brewery (founded in 1987). If you are a beer fan, they offer tours of the facility several times a day, which would be worth checking out.
From Creemore, we began heading home. Being a little pressed for time, we needed to take the most direct route, which I trusted my handy GPS to figure out for us and as expected, it choose the 400. This was an issue because riding at highway speeds in those cold temps meant getting very cold, very quickly. I found that it was more tolerable when we tucked in behind a truck but the turbulent air from the truck and the cross winds made for a very rough ride with the bike skittering around beneath us.
Eventually we had to get off and I decided to head east on HWY 9 across into Newmarket. This allowed for a break from the cold highway speeds and a chance to warm up at a coffee shop. 20min later, we were rolling again and made a final push home down the 404.
All in all it was a great day riding but all those stops made it a very long one. We only covered 300km but it was nice just to get out and actually ride again in spite of the cold. A Birthday Party at a club Saturday night will mean a late start to any riding on Sunday though.
