June was a tough month for motorcycle deaths in Edmonton, EPS says

The number of caller collisions that person killed Edmonton motorcyclists is an “anomaly” that hasn’t been seen successful astir a decade, according to nan president of a motorcycle information group successful Alberta.

Recent figures from nan Edmonton Police Service show location person been 5 motorcyclist deaths successful 2024 — each of them took spot during nan period of June, renewing calls from constabulary asking bikers to retrieve roadworthy safety.

“Life for a motorcyclist tin beryllium fleeting – location and gone successful specified seconds,” said EPS Major Collision Investigations Section Staff Sgt. Mike Wasylyshen successful a July 5 news release.

“Mothers, fathers, siblings, friends and constabulary person seen acold excessively galore group suffer their lives arsenic a consequence of motorcycle collisions complete nan years.”

The Alberta RCMP has besides responded to astatine slightest 3 motorcycle collisions since precocious April involving riders from nan Edmonton area, including 2 that were fatal.

Wasylyshen said velocity almost ever plays a domiciled successful motorcyclist deaths. While he wants motorcyclists to bask nan acquisition of riding a bike, he emphasizes nan request for safety.

“I want them to besides person a patient respect for their ain mortality and please slow down,” he said.

Liane Langlois, president of nan Alberta Motorcycle Safety Society, told 630 CHED Afternoons pinch Bryn Griffiths that her group regularly hears astir a fewer fatalities done nan awesome cities, but ne'er 5 successful a period successful 1 city.

“This is an anomaly. It’s thing that we haven’t seen successful nan adjacent decade we’ve been doing nan Alberta Motorcycle Safety Society,” she said.

“That is simply a grounds that I wish we weren’t setting, but it’s unfortunate that this is going on.”

Langlois said 4 retired of nan 5 fatal collisions handled by EPS were deemed rider error, pinch excessive speeds playing a factor. Of nan five, 3 were single-vehicle collisions and 2 progressive aggregate vehicles, she said.

It’s a move from nan pre-COVID era, she said, erstwhile it was evenly divided betwixt rider correction and conveyance error. Now, collisions are mostly deemed arsenic rider error, Langlois said.

The property scope of nan riders killed mightiness beryllium different analytic worthy looking at, she said, arsenic astir cases progressive group successful their 20s.

“(It) whitethorn constituent towards inexperience aliases conscionable deficiency of communal consciousness of what nan powerfulness of a motorcycle tin have, and really quickly that tin change,” Langlois said.

Langlois said Alberta’s number of motorcycle fatalities is connected par pinch nan past mates of years, but noted that nan fig is usually made up of incidents dispersed retired crossed nan province.

“You don’t needfully perceive astir each of them … successful 1 city,” she said. “That’s what makes it a panic for everybody.”

Langlois said it’s important to retrieve that astir motorcyclists are pursuing roadworthy rules for illustration velocity limits.

It’s often difficult to judge nan velocity of a motorcycle because of its smaller size, she said.

“The immense mostly of motorcycle riders retired location are going nan velocity limit, are wearing each their gear, are doing everything right,” she said.

“We conscionable want to make judge that everybody’s looking retired for everybody and return that 2nd look astatine intersections earlier you turn, conscionable to beryllium judge that it’s clear.”