Edmonton police are pushing for motorcyclists to slow down and drive responsibly this summer.
The push from police comes after a pair of recent collisions involving motorcyclists in the first couple of weeks of the riding season.
EPS says around 5:15 p.m. on April 20, officers responded to a call from EMS stating a 23-year-old man riding a motorcycle was involved in a single-vehicle collision.
Police say the motorcyclist left the road on 82 Street just north of the Anthony Henday Drive and rolled into a ditch. He suffered serious, non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital by paramedics.
Three days later, officers responded to another report of a collision involving a motorcycle.
Reports indicate a group of motorcyclists were weaving trough traffic at high speeds heading north on Gateway Boulevard near 19 Avenue. One of the riders — a 21-year-old man — rear-ended a GMC Sierra, police say. The rider was tossed from the bike and slid down the road.
He reportedly suffered serious, non-life-threatening injuries, and was taken to hospital by paramedics.
“Most of us haven’t ridden a motorcycle for several months due to the winter, so it’s important to take it easy and reintegrate slowly onto surrounding roadways,” said Sgt. Kerry Bates of the EPS Traffic Safety Unit.
“Riders should also be mindful of seasonal road conditions. Some of our roads may still have gravel on them, which tends to accumulate on our streets throughout the winter months. This can create instability for motorcycles.”
EPS says between 2019 and 2023, there have been 635 motorcycle-involved collisions.
Of those, 381 have resulted in injuries and 11 have been fatal.