B.C. to change motorcycle licensing

OFF THE WIRE
The B.C. government plans to toughen rules governing motorcycling based on recommendations from a B.C. Coroners Service death panel review.

The review — commissioned over concern about the rising number of B.C. motorcycle deaths — has made nine recommendations, the B.C. government announced Thursday.

The recommendations include measures to:

* Establish a graduated-licence program for new riders.
* Require mandatory industry certification for all motorcycle helmets.
* Implement a zero-tolerance blood-alcohol policy for new riders.
* Issue a different-coloured licence plate to motorcyclists who hold a learner's licence.
* Re-evaluate existing standards for training schools and instructor certification.
* Expand the scope of coroner's investigations involving motorcycle deaths to include more data and compile it in a specific section for better analysis in the future.

There were 286 motorcycle-related deaths on B.C. roads between 2000 and 2007.

Statistics from the Insurance Corp. of British Columbia show that in 2008 there were 1,295 casualty crashes involving motorcycles, up from 1,035 in 2004.

ICBC said 37 per cent of B.C. motorcycle accidents are single-vehicle crashes. In multi-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles, the bike's rider was deemed at fault 25 per cent of the time.

In 2009, there were almost 94,000 registered motorcycles on B.C. roads, up from about 60,000 in 2004.

"It's clear that with more riders on the road, safety improvements need to be made," B.C. Public Safety Minister Kash Heed said Wednesday.

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