The alarm is being sounded by Ontario Provincial Police West Region over a near record number of fatal motorcycle crashes.
The West Region, which includes Essex County, has recorded 12 fatal crashes involving a motorcycle since the start of 2022, a 71 per cent increase over the same time a year ago, which also leads all other areas of the province patrolled by OPP.
The 12 fatal crashes is also tied with the 10-year provincial average within the region, on track to setting a new record.
Inspector Shawn Johnson says along with the fatalities, there has been a number of serious injuries as a result of the increase in motorcycle crashes.
"Lost limbs, foot, leg, serious head injuries, have not died as a result of a motorcycle vehicle collision but have suffered life-altering injuries as a result of it," he says.
In all, OPP West Region officers have responded to 108 motorcycle collisions in 2022, which included 57 injuries, 21 per cent above the same time a year ago.
Inspector Shawn Johnson points to speed and loss of control as the leading causes of motorcycle crashes in 2022, which he says seem to go hand-in-hand.
"What we're finding is that motorcyclists aren't driving defensively. The majority of motorcycle collisions involving deaths are happening on Saturday and Sundays between 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. on clear and dry days," he says.
Males between the ages of 56-years and 64-years of age are the leading demographic when it comes to motorcycle collisions.
Inspector Shawn Johnson says Essex County is a wonderful area that's flat with good visibility, but too often people let their guard down because riders think the lines of sight are so great.
"Such a beautiful area down in Essex County, yet we see needless collisions," he says. "The interesting thing with this, 74 per cent of the motor vehicle collisions involving motorcycles this year in which people have died, it's been deemed the motorcyclist at fault."
To date in 2022, there have been 25 motorcycle fatalities in Ontario, compared to 16 deaths to date in 2021.
OPP West Region is working with Essex County OPP when it comes to traffic enforcement, which includes aerial enforcement along Highway 401 and Highway 3.
The recent spike in motorcyclist deaths in West Region is prompting the OPP to urge riders to protect themselves by ensuring that road intersections are clear of traffic before proceeding, wearing bright protective gear, and enrolling in a Ministry of Transport-approved motorcycle safety training program.