Deadly motorcycle crashes prompt safety reminder

It's been a deadly summer for motorcyclists so far in Calgary and that has police urging bikers to ride smarter.

There have been two recent fatal motorcycle collisions in the city.

Police are asking riders and drivers to share the road and watch out for each other.

Motorcyclists also need to take precautions to keep themselves safe, said Const. Jim Lebedeff with the Calgary Police Traffic Education Unit.

"You're on a bike, you don't have four walls around you, the crush zone and that type of thing. So, allow motorists time to react to you. Don't sneak up on them," he said.

All motorcyclists should make sure they have the proper training and gear before they hit the road, he added.

Almost two thirds of crashes involving motorcycles result in death or injury, compared with one in ten for all other collisions.

And a rider without a helmet is 40 per cent more likely to die in a crash than a helmeted rider, police said.