Additional officers take to Ontario streets for motorcycle enforcement

OFF THE WIRE ,Canada
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_15842785 Additional officers take to Ontario streets for motorcycle enforcement Lori Consalvo, Staff Writer Posted: 08/20/2010 04:19:34 PM PDT

In an effort to make the roads a little safer, police officers will be on the look out Saturday for dangerous and careless motorists. The Ontario Police Department will conduct a specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation, enlisting additional officers to patrol areas where crashes frequently happen.

Police officers hope the enforcement will lead to less motorcycle collisions, injuries and fatalities.

"We're going to focus mostly on speed and lane change awareness, said Neil Beresford, a motor officer for the Ontario Police Department. "Helmets are a big thing for us."

Officers will also check to see if riders have current motorcycle licenses and their equipment operates correctly.

Motorcycle fatalities have been on the rise in California, increasing 175 percent in the last decade, police said.

In June, there were two motorcycles fatalities within the same week in Ontario, Beresford said.

Since last October, three motorcycles were killed during traffic collisions in the city, he said. Two of the riders were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Eleven riders have been hurt in that time and four were involved in hit-and-run collisions.

On Saturday, officers will focus mainly on major roadways, Beresford said, including Haven, Milliken, and Mountain avenues and Mission Boulevard.

"(Ontario) is more of a commuter city for motorcycles," he said. "They drive through the city."

Police officers plan to knuckle down on unsafe motorcycle riders during their enforcement. But they will also remind drivers to watch out for motorcycles, especially when turning or changing lanes. "Motorcycles are hard to see," Ontario Detective Jeff Crittenden said. "They split traffic and cars changing lanes might not see them."