Signs warning against off-highway vehicle use on the Abasands municipal walking trails in Fort McMurray, Alta. on June 7, 2015. Photo by Cullen Bird /Postmedia Network

Article content

A series of crashes in Fort McMurray involving off-road vehicles has sparked a stern warning from police that driving a dirt bike, all-terrain vehicle (ATVs) or off-highway vehicle (OHV) in the municipality is illegal.

Article content

The reminder comes as Wood Buffalo RCMP investigates three seperate collisions involving off-road vehicles from last week alone.

Article content

Article content

Article content

Article content

And while each of the incidents is still under investigation, police have mentioned alcohol use, improper safety wear and reckless driving as potential contributing factors.

Article content

Article content

The first in the series of crashes occurred on Tuesday, June 22. Police said they received a call at 12:41 a.m. to assist Regional Emergency Services after an ATV carrying teenagers struck a pole.

Article content

The accident, which happened on the Chipewyan Prairie First Nation just south of Fort McMurray, left the teenagers – who the RCMP said were not wearing helmets – with a number of injuries.

Article content

In a news release, police also said alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the collision.

Article content

Just two days later on June 24, another investigation was launched after EMS responded to a report of a collision on Clearwater Drive in the Downtown area of Fort McMurray. According to a news release, the crash occurred just before 1:00 a.m., when responders reported a man riding an ‘e-dirt’ bike crashing into a fence.

Article content

The driver, an adult male, sustained multiple serious injuries and was also said to not have been wearing a helmet, and was showing signs of intoxication.

Article content

Article content

Although smaller than most highway vehicles, e-dirt bikes prove to be almost as powerful – capable of hitting speeds of 110 kilometers per hour with a power output of 22,000 W (just enough to power an entire house). Regular e-bikes can only hit a maximum speed of 32 kilometers per hour.

Article content

Article content

On June 26, the RCMP received another report, this time involving a 21-year-old man driving a dirt bike that crashed into a wooden pole along Wilson Drive. The rider was transported to an Edmonton area hospital with serious injuries, police said.

Article content

OHV usage is common to the surrounding Municipal roads in the Abasand area, however, Wood Buffalo bylaws prohibit the usage of such vehicles – including quad bikes, dirt bikes, side-by-sides and ATVs – in the Urban Service Area. This includes all sidewalks, parks, green spaces and urban trails of Fort McMurray itself, outside the Abasand neighborhood.

Article content

A list of staging areas for legal use can be found on the RMWB website.

Article content

Following the arduous week Wood Buffalo RCMP warned the community against dangerous driving, reminding residents “operating an off-highway vehicle (OHV) in such a manner is dangerous, can cause serious injuries or death, is illegal and can result in criminal charges and fines.”