Take The Motorcycle Safety Pledge
Show Your Support for Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
TORONTO, April 28, 2017 /CNW/ - After a long, cold Canadian winter, motorcyclists are eager to get back on the roads. Warmer spring weather signals the start of the motorcycle season – that's why May is officially recognized as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
The Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC) wants all motorcyclists to be visible on the roads, in the hopes of reducing crashes, especially at intersections where almost 50 per cent of motorcycle collisions occur.
"Motorcycle safety is everyone's responsibility," explains Dave Millier, MCC Chair. "We're encouraging everyone to take the Motorcycle Safety Pledge because behind the helmet, motorcyclists are mothers, fathers, children, and friends."
Take the Motorcycle Safety Pledge
Everyone plays an important role in motorcycle safety. Even if you do not ride a motorcycle, chances are you know someone that does. "At the MCC our long-term goal is to make Canada the safest place to ride a motorcycle," says Millier. "We hope to achieve this ambitious goal by encouraging everyone – riders, passengers, drivers, and loved ones to take the Motorcycle Safety Pledge."
There are simple things that can be done to put safety first. Motorcyclists can pledge to ride within their limits, ride sober, obey traffic laws, and make arriving alive their greatest priority. Motorists can pledge to always look twice, and to check blind spots before switching lanes. Motorcycles are smaller and harder to see than other vehicles, so double checking before changing lanes or making a left-hand turn can help ensure the safety of everyone on the road.
Join the many Canadians that support motorcycle safety by taking the Motorcycle Safety Pledge. Visit motorcycling.ca for all the details, and tell us why you're taking the #MotorcycleSafetyPledge on motorcycling.ca, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month is a public awareness campaign that originally began as regional events held across Canada for many years. In 2013, the MCC officially launched a national initiative to promote motorcycle safety among all road and trail users across Canada.
About the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC)
The Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC) is the voice of motorcycling in Canada. Our purpose is to create a better riding experience for all Canadians, and to make Canada one of the safest countries in the world to ride a motorcycle.
MCC is the national not-for-profit advocacy organization for the promotion of motorcycling interests. MCC provides a forum for members from across the country to share their expertise and communicate their needs to key decision makers and the public. We collaborate with member federations, clubs, partners, and international organizations to advance public policy and traffic safety issues that are important to Canadian motorcyclists.
MCC communicates with government (both politicians and officials), communities of interest and the media to ensure our voice is heard and our recommendations acted upon. Our goal is to make on and off-road riding safe, accessible, and enjoyable for everyone. Through our alliances with member organizations and international partners, we deliver a strong voice and a respected place for Canada in the motorcycling world.
As a founding patron of the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame, MCC is also committed to preserving Canada's motorcycling heritage.
Motorcycling is a vital part of our Canadian experience and an important form of transportation and recreation. Motorcycles take us where we need to go. We ride for the sheer joy and sense of freedom motorcycling offers. Today, there are close to one million motorcyclists riding on and off-road motorcycles across Canada.
We are motorcycling.ca
About Motorcycling in Canada
Recreational motorcycling has a significant impact on the Canadian economy.
A major socio-economic study of motorcycling in Canada found direct and indirect expenditures on recreational motorcycling were $2.68 billion in 2014. Here are some other facts about the impact of motorcycling, and the contributions made by motorcyclists:
- There are 708,700 people participating in recreational motorcycling in Canada.
- $332 million a year goes to Canada's three levels of government in the form of taxes to support valuable public services including the building of roads, health care and education.
- $118 million federal
- $167 million provincial
- $47 million municipal
- Based on the widely accepted Regional Economic Model Inc. (REMI) methodology it is estimated that recreational motorcycling will meet or exceed $4 billion annually between 2020 and 2040.
- At least 17,500 Canadians are currently employed in motorcycling-dependent jobs with the number expected to increase to between 20,000 and 23,100 between 2020 and 2040.
- Motorcyclists are your neighbours. They are everyday people from grandmothers and grandfathers to youth and young adults; they are skilled professionals and factory workers; some ride alone while some ride with family and friends. From a purchasing power perspective, motorcycling families typically have higher than average household incomes.
- Recreational motorcyclists raised and donated $13.2 million in charitable donations in 2014.
SOURCE Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada (MCC)
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