Speed a factor in collision that killed two motorcyclists on Hwy. 416

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have concluded an investigation into a collision that killed two motorcyclists earlier this month.

It happened Aug. 2 just after midnight on Highway 416 where it meets with Highway 417 in Ottawa’s west end. Police responded to the crash where one rider was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was transported to the hospital where they later succumbed to their injuries.

The collision reconstructionist and technical collision investigators have determined that both motorcycles were travelling at “extremely” high rates of speed prior to the incident.

“It has also been confirmed that speed was a contributing factor in the collision,” police noted.

Officials are urging people to slow down as there has been a rise in motorcyclist fatalities across the country.

In a press release, Biker Down North America noted a dramatic increase in motorcycle sales during the COVID-19 pandemic and this has been linked with a rise in the number of rider injuries and fatalities.

Statistics Canada reported an average of 180 motorcycle fatalities each year, from 2016-2020. There were 258 fatalities recorded and more than 118,000 injuries in 2022, reflecting an increase of 9.5 per cent over 2021, according to Transport Canada.