It might be influenced by the fact that motorcycle sales in Canada have been going up steadily since 2019, with a big jump in 2021. There are more riders, so more casualties.
It is still subject to dangerous driving charges. If there are people standing around that could get injured dangerous is appropriate.The parking lot is private property.
Covid is still around and not everyone did well during the lockdowns. Now their mortgages are coming due, and they went deeper in debt during C-19. They are ****** off and when you are angry it shows in all aspects of your life.I think what they're trying to say is that a lot more people on the road (motorcycle riders included) are acting more and more reckless. So even if your level of safe riding hasn't changed in the past 30 years, there's more outside risk coming your way increasing your chances of getting affected by an idiot on the road.
I see it in my commutes, more erratic behaviours, i've only got 10ish years under my belt but the first 5 years i was commuting on the motorbike 2-3 times per week into downtown toronto. You notice patterns after a while.
Even while driving the car, i can notice more dangerous behaviour among the general population.
As someone else mentioned, entitlement is a big factor in this (can i use this word?) pandemic. I feel like it's been amplified post-covid, people are hella impatient. Lane blocking at traffic lights has become commonplace downtown to the point that we need police officers directing traffic (i mean wtf happened during covid that we can't manage that ourselves anymore?!). There's just a lot of wrong happening on the road and people are more and more unpredictable making it more hazardous for everybody involved.
Every person that is eliminated by advanced testing is one person that won't buy a house in the boonies where public transit is the pits. What does that do to developer profits?I don't know... I drove a cab in the '80s and '90s and haven't noticed it getting worse... the average driver was clueless in the '80s and the average driver is clueless in the 2020s... cars are better/safer now.
We, us drivers, aren't very good at it. REAL driving lessons would help. I paid for my daughter to take driving lessons when she was 17. They taught her how to pass the test... I had to UN teach her and teach her how to ACTUALLY drive. She really hated learning emergency stops, but had a great time flinging the truck around sideways on the antifreeze soaked parking lot (scared ME senseless, but she was having fun AND she learned how to control a slide... something NOT taught at driving school but something that comes in real handy in Ontario winters). At "driving" school, they DISCUSSED emergency stops, didn't DO any (because it's not on the test. To pass the test you have to stop quickly, NOT as fast as possible).
Ask the "average" driver if they know what THRESHOLD braking is
in Germany, you know... where every driving comparison ends, it takes a minimum of a year, with much class room instruction and many hours behind the wheel, and about $5000 to get a license (and part of that is knowing how to change a tire and how to install a fan belt at the side of the road)
It is still subject to dangerous driving charges. If there are people standing around that could get injured dangerous is appropriate.
Don't believe me?
Have a seven year old killed by an errant tuner and the public outcry would be "Where were the police?"
Someone posted about the OPP doing bike checks at sanctioned track days. It's similar in a broad sense. Performance event followed by the vehicles going to the street. How did that work out?I was replying to a post suggesting blocking the exits and doing document checks and vehicle inspections... on private property
As long as they are "inspecting" everyone, it's fine. To single out riders/drivers they need probable cause.Do the police need cause?
Not that I condone the tuner / ricer / loud pipes crap but look at your wasted time. They won.As long as they are "inspecting" everyone, it's fine. To single out riders/drivers they need probable cause.
I've seen them at Cayuga, with OPP, MOT and Environment officers.
I've seen local police walking around track days/race days writing down VINs, no cause needed.
We were at Cayuga, and I see my buddy Mopar Steve getting served and protected at the gate.. I LOLed... he was still there 20 minutes later, so I walked over to see what was going on.
Steve has a '67 Polara, with a Hemi (cool car), and the OPP and MOT want a clean air, cuz the car has plates... UHMMMM ...guys... it is a 1967, there is NO clean air standard, but more importantly: IT'S ON A TRAILER. The cops huddle up... now they want date stamps on the hold down straps.
Steve was doing nothing wrong
By noon they had about 35 cars in impound.
At a bike gathering at 403/Dundas Timmies, a Peel cop told a guy that if he as much as started his duly insured, plated and all round legal RD-LC, on private property, he would be arrested and the bike impounded, I can't remember what BS charge he was threatening, but he was seriously under the impression 2 strokes were illegal to operate... on private property.
Back in the good ol days of street racing, I was a regular getting pulled over and getting "Falstaff'ed", were I had to go to the MOT at Keele/401 for an inspection. It was fun to watch the cop go NUTs about how unsafe my car was. I was such a regular at Falstaff I knew most of the inspectors by name, I'd bring coffee. Never failed an inspection. After the third or forth inspection, one of the inspectors would just come out to the parking lot. give my car a glance and sign off. TWICE I got pulled over, the VERY excited cop wanted to give me a Falstaff, but I had the paperwork from an inspection earlier that day. That kinda takes the wind outa their sails. (A MOT inspection is nothing like a "safety")
I was told they gave York Regional cops a seminar about "ricers"... and one of the things they made exception to was MAP sensor placement, if you moved your MAP sensor on your Civic, they take your plates. HTF does a cop that knows nothing about cars get to make such a pronouncement
In practice... the police don't know the laws their supposed to be enforcing
Someone posted about the OPP doing bike checks at sanctioned track days. It's similar in a broad sense. Performance event followed by the vehicles going to the street. How did that work out?
Do the police need cause?
If I owned the premises I would want the liability issues of allowing the events. Do they sell a lot of coffee?
While I do agree there isn’t enough training, I’m going to disagree Germans produce better drivers. They are better at following rules, which I believe is part cultural, part training, and part heavy rules enforcement.I don't know... I drove a cab in the '80s and '90s and haven't noticed it getting worse... the average driver was clueless in the '80s and the average driver is clueless in the 2020s... cars are better/safer now.
We, us drivers, aren't very good at it. REAL driving lessons would help. I paid for my daughter to take driving lessons when she was 17. They taught her how to pass the test... I had to UN teach her and teach her how to ACTUALLY drive. She really hated learning emergency stops, but had a great time flinging the truck around sideways on the antifreeze soaked parking lot (scared ME senseless, but she was having fun AND she learned how to control a slide... something NOT taught at driving school but something that comes in real handy in Ontario winters). At "driving" school, they DISCUSSED emergency stops, didn't DO any (because it's not on the test. To pass the test you have to stop quickly, NOT as fast as possible).
Ask the "average" driver if they know what THRESHOLD braking is
in Germany, you know... where every driving comparison ends, it takes a minimum of a year, with much class room instruction and many hours behind the wheel, and about $5000 to get a license (and part of that is knowing how to change a tire and how to install a fan belt at the side of the road)
I have many years experience riding and driving as well, and the risk definitely has changed. More traffic/congestion, different types of road users (teens on electric scooters!), distraction, poor driving/riding skills, and an overall entitlement on the part of all types of road users.An increase in accidents? What relevance does this have to me...........? Should I be concerned?
I'm mid sixties in age, have 30+ years riding, 10+bikes, about 300,000 km experience, don't drink and ride, don't commute on 400 series highways, I'm not lane splitting at 200 km/h at 2 AM on a weekend, not racing my buddies from one Timmies to another.very Friday and Saturday night at 3 AM...........
From my perspective, the risk of riding has not changed. If you're riding like an idiot, then suffer the consequences,
If you're entitled the other things you mention are irrelevant. Same goes for sub teens on electric scoots.I have many years experience riding and driving as well, and the risk definitely has changed. More traffic/congestion, different types of road users (teens on electric scooters!), distraction, poor driving/riding skills, and an overall entitlement on the part of all types of road users.
Absolutely. But a for an “unentitled” motorcyclist, the risk increases with the other things I mention, no?If you're entitled the other things you mention are irrelevant. Same goes for sub teens on electric scoots.
Don’t forget “cage-raging…”An increase in accidents? What relevance does this have to me...........? Should I be concerned?
I'm mid sixties in age, have 30+ years riding, 10+bikes, about 300,000 km experience, don't drink and ride, don't commute on 400 series highways, I'm not lane splitting at 200 km/h at 2 AM on a weekend, not racing my buddies from one Timmies to another.very Friday and Saturday night at 3 AM...........
From my perspective, the risk of riding has not changed. If you're riding like an idiot, then suffer the consequences,
In theory that sounds like a good idea. Look at Germany. One of the hardest places in the world to get a drivers license; very high obligations on drivers (when I was visiting relatives, at the time every car by law had to carry a first aid kit and it was a serious offence not to stop at an accident scene); strict enforcement; and stiff penalties. But, that’s why they get to buy fast cars and drive them to their intended potentia on public roads.Would tiered licencing help - I don't know. The squids don't bother with things like licences, plates and insurance.
You can't convince someone that their skills aren't up to the task if they aren't prepared to listen.
Thanks for the link. I signed up for the waiting list.Didn't see this posted but perhaps we could help prevent some fatalities:
Rise in motorcyclist fatalities prompts free first aid training for riders
An organization is sounding the alarm on motorcyclists deaths and to combat the issue partnering with the Red Cross to offer life-saving training.toronto.citynews.ca
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