EPS tells motorcyclists to #takeittothetrack to reduce crashes
In an effort to decrease motorcycle collisions on the streets, the Edmonton Police Traffic Section is encouraging riders to take their need for speed out to the area race tracks.
There were 119 motorcycle collisions in 2020, an increase of 14 per cent from 2019, according police.
The fastest speed captured this year was 220 km/h on the Anthony Henday Drive, said James McLeod, the acting staff Sgt. of the EPS Traffic Enforcement Section.
“The faster you do travel it lessens the time to react,” he noted.
McLeod said there are 15,000 registered motorcyclists in Edmonton alone and “ the sport is growing.”
Because of that, police have created the hashtag #takeittothetrack to encourage motorcycle riders to test the speed of their machine in a controlled environment.
“I get it,” EPS Const. Calvin Ozimko said. “Everyone wants to see what their machine is capable of doing.”
“It’s at these events that provide me and the motorcycle community an opportunity to push ourselves and our bikes where we’re not going to endanger the lives of others on the city streets.”
Stratotech Park in Fort Saskatchewan. Photo by: Galen McDougall
In order to get more people on the track, one of the owners of Motorheads Track Attacks rents out raceway facilities to host public events.
“The motorcycle community in Edmonton and Alberta is very strong,” Brian Worsdall explained. “There are avenues where they can get their fix of speed, and get their thrills out.”
“Whether you’re a new rider or an experienced rider, you can come out to these events and you’re going to get some solid advice or instruction on everything from proper gear, to bike set up to even how to drag your knee around the corner,” Ozimko added.
'I LUCKILY WALKED AWAY'
Worsdall recalled buying his first motorcycle at 19 years old and instantly becoming an enthusiast. But, after a collision on a busy intersection along Jasper Avenue, he said his attitude quickly changed.
“I luckily walked away with just a few scrapes,” he said.
“For the price of one speeding ticket, usually you can come out and have a day riding on track, faster then you’ll ever go in the streets.”
The program currently utilizes Stratotech Park in Fort Saskatchewan and Castrol Raceway in Nisku for its training and racing programs.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Fallen crypto mogul Sam Bankman-Fried sentenced to 25 years in prison
Crypto entrepreneur Sam Bankman-Fried was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison for a massive fraud that unravelled with the collapse of FTX, once one of the world's most popular platforms for exchanging digital currency.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.