After a long winter without motorcycles on the road, they're back and in big numbers.

In 2014 there were 684 casualties involving motorcycles in Alberta, 35 of them fatal, Manager of Novice Operations AMA Driver Education Rick Lang says the most common cause of collisions with motorcycles are left turns.

"The number one collision between a car and a motorcycle is a vehicle making a left turn in the path of an oncoming motorcycle, and almost uniformly the drivers say they never saw them. Before you make any turns, make sure you look for other cars, pedestrians, and double check for motorcycles. They're small, move at high speeds, and generally speaking much more difficult to spot."

Lang explains judging a motorcycle's speed and distance is a lot more difficult than regular vehicles, so it's important for drivers to be vigilant.

"If you're following a motorcycle leave a little extra stopping distance, a lot of times if you misjudge the speed and distance which is easy to do because of their small size you can come up on them very quickly and potentially rear end the motorcyclist."

He adds the responsibility rests on the motorcyclists as well; drivers should drive as to be predictable, be visible using headlights, and reflectors, stay out of blind spots, and when in doubt that other drivers can see you, flash your brake lights or honk.

Questions, comments, or story ideas? Email us at news@okotoksonline.com