CHANDLER, AZ — The Chandler Police Department is taking action to lower the number of motorcycle crashes in the East Valley. In 2024, departments teamed up to raise awareness about the rising number of crashes and deaths involving motorcyclists.
In 2025, the troubling trend is continuing.
“We’re only two months into the year, and we’ve had half a dozen very serious crashes," Chandler Police Motor Sergeant Dan McQuillin said. "One was a fatality, and the rest were very very serious, life-changing injuries.
On Sunday morning, Sergeant McQuillin and members of the Chandler Motor Unit hosted a motorcycle safety class for riders in the Valley free of charge. The classes are funded through grants from the Governor's Office of Highway Safety.
“It’s an opportunity for the motorcyclists to come in and hone their skills controlling the motorcycle," McQuillin said.
Riders practice maneuvering through tight spaces driving slowly, making U-turns, and how to come to a complete stop quickly.
“Really, going fast is easy," Tony Carson, a biker participating in the training said. "It’s going slow that’s hard.”
The class is not full of beginners, as Carson has been biking the Valley for years. He says practicing the fundamentals frequently keeps him safe out on the streets.
“There’s people that take how long they have been riding as a level of experience and it just doesn’t work like that," Carson said.
Sergeant McQuillin says bike safety classes like this one are only half of the solution, adding that distracted drivers are often to blame for crashes with motorcyclists.
"There’s no reason in 2025 for anyone to be driving with their phone in their hand," McQuillin said. "If you’re texting and driving, you’re wrong.”
He says bikers also need to keep themselves safe. In Arizona, it is not required for riders 18 and older to wear a helmet. McQuillin says he has been to crash scenes where helmets saved lives.
"Help yourself, make your odds better," he said.
Chandler Police will have another free training in March specifically for female bikers.