WATCH ABOVE: The snow is gone, the roads are no longer icy and that means more motorbikes on the roads. But as Eric Szeto reports, it comes with a warning.
EDMONTON — It happens every year: the roads clear of snow and ice, the temperature heats up and motorcyclists hit the road. But the resurgence of bikes comes with a warning from Edmonton police.
“This is the time of year when you really, you start to kind of knock the cobwebs off your driving skills, so to speak,” said EPS Spokesperson Scott Pattison. “We want to make sure that everybody has enough time to brush up on those road safety skills and they take it easy.
“Sometimes our awareness isn’t as sharp as it should be.”
Brushing up on the rules of the road is one thing police say bikers, and all drivers, should do every season; watching their speed is another, particularly at this time of year when there is still plenty of leftover sand and gravel on the roads.
“People who ride motorcycles … enjoy roads that challenge them with a bit of gravity, but we want them to challenge themselves at the proper speed, at the posted speed limit,” said Pattison, who rides a motorcycle himself.
READ MORE: 2 motorcyclists seriously injured after allegedly racing in southeast Edmonton
Police issue the warning every year, but despite the warning there are still people who break the law. Windy streets like Groat Road are a particular concern to police. In a video posted to YouTube in October 2014, a motorcyclist can be seen travelling at speeds over 110 kilometres per hour on the River Valley road. Police want to warn bikers that videos such as these can be used as evidence.
“That’s always good evidence for us,” Pattison said Friday.
“Detectives will go through an investigative process to determine the overall context in which it was shot,” he added. “It’s live evidence and we certainly will consider that as a witness report, as well.”
Stuart Hunter, an instructor at the Canadian Traffic Education Centre, says it’s important for riders to take a refresher course in the spring.
“If you haven’t been on a motorcycle since the fall, like most of us haven’t and it’s been upwards of six months. it’s important,” he said. “As we know, skills deteriorate a little bit over time.
“The biggest mistakes we see are generally people who are just too eager to go out and forget that their skills are a little rusty.”
READ MORE: Motorcycle caught travelling 211 km/hr on Trans-Canada Highway
Police don’t want to discourage motorcyclists, they just want to make sure everyone makes it home safely at the end of the day.
“There’s a long spring and summer ahead and we want to make sure that people are enjoying those vehicles, their motorcycles, their bicycles, rather than having to do it from a hospital bed.”
Police also urge drivers to watch out for motorcyclists and bicyclists as they emerge from the winter break.
The EPS offers the following advice to motorcyclists in order to stay safe and obey the law:
- Wear an approved motorcycle helmet and safety gear
- Don’t drink and ride
- Be aware of dangerous road surfaces
- Ride defensively – look for potential problems and dangers
- Don’t ride beyond your ability level
- Don’t ride side-by-side with other motorcyclists
- Make sure your motorcycle is well lit with reflectors, working headlights and taillights
- Don’t modify motorcycles to the point they do not meet safety regulations
- Don’t modify your license plate
- Don’t modify exhaust systems on motorcycles
- Don’t weave in and out of traffic
- Don’t get in a motorist’s blind spot
Comments