Speeders are often shocked when Const. Danny Knight flicks on the lights of his police-issue Harley Davidson Road King, after blowing by him unaware of a police officer’s presence. But the same reasons why Knight can catch speeders in the act are the ones that put motorcyclists in danger on Canada’s roads.

July marks Motorcycle Safety month in Alberta, and Knight is urging motorists and motorcyclists to get educated about sharing the road. 

This is Knight’s second summer as a traffic enforcement officer on the police motorcycle in the Jasper to Edson region. He is one of only eight officers in the entire province to ride a bike during traffic enforcement. More officers are being trained due to the success of the new RCMP program that is growing across the country. 

The officers on bikes are not specifically out there to catch fellow riders, Knight says. 

“Generally we have very little problems with motorcyclists.”

RCMP traffic enforcement officers deal with riders’ illegal helmets more than any other infraction. A properly fitted helmet with a chin strap and good insulation is required for travel within Alberta. The most common bikes that come through the Jasper National Park are touring bikes, and Knight says they happily obey speed limits. 

Knight has been riding a motorcycle or dirt bike since he was a kid, and jumped at the chance to get on a bike for work. 

“I’ve been riding since I was 12, [and the] opportunity opened up and away I went,” he said. 

Because Knight was a recreational rider before he stepped onto a bike for the RCMP, he has experience  sharing the road. The biggest issues he notices are motorists not being aware of motorcyclists, and both parties not knowing what a motorcycle is capable of. 

Knight says a bike can accelerate and decelerate much faster than a car. This can be a hazard if a car is following too close behind 

“Your braking capacity on a bike is significantly more than a car,” he said. “On a bike you slow down so fast.”

A driver in a car may not be able to notice that a bike has slowed down in time to react. That’s why, Knight says, it’s important to give a bike more space. Drivers who feel a motorcyclist is too close to their bumper, may be unaware that they are able to stop quicker, and are more agile. 

“You can be closer on a bike and either avoid an obstacle or brake,” Knight says. That, however, shouldn’t give bikers a free pass to tailgate. 

He urges drivers to get educated about bikes. The province offers education, and there will be information available through the Ministry of Transportation in July.

“I think overall there needs to be more education on both sides,” Knight says. 

Motorcyclists need to be aware of their own safety as well, Knight adds. He urges veteran riders to refresh their skills even if they’ve been riding for years. Riders can sometimes pick up bad habits over time. 

“A person’s most dangerous when they think they know everything about what they’re doing,” he said. 

Knight says he learned a lot from the police motorcyclist training, and realized the machines are more powerful than he thought. 

“It really opens your eyes to what those things are actually capable of doing,” he said. 

Courses are available for motorcyclists beyond the initial new rider training. Knight could not name a specific program in Jasper, but says bigger cities offer them.

The most important thing motorcyclists need to be aware of is their visibility, Knight says. 

“That’s not to say everyone should dress in neon,” he said. “[But] be aware that you’re not as visible. Give yourself more time.”

Knight himself wears a fluorescent vest, and his Harley is brightly marked with police stickers and lights. Despite the obvious police markings, Knight says he often catches people speeding right by him, whereas an officer in a marked police car often sees drivers slow down when they spot the cruiser – in fact, Knight has actually experienced drivers speeding up past his motorcycle.

The bike is helpful in approaching scenes unnoticed. Knight has pulled up on scenes and apprehended a suspect who didn’t expect the loud roar of the bike to be a police officer. 

“Obviously transporting prisoners is quite a chore,” Knight jokes. When he does need to take someone into custody, he calls in an officer with a cruiser. 

Knight has also spotted drivers texting while driving – an issue that is to be tackled when distracted driving legislation comes into effect in Alberta later this year. An exact date has not been set, but according to the Alberta Ministry of Transportation, it could be in effect later this year. Once it is put into law, Knight says there will be a public education period where drivers will be pulled over and told about the new law, but not ticketed. Once that period is over, however, fines will be handed out. 

Knight says the best thing about the police issue motorcycle is the public relations they experience. 

“Everybody likes to see a nice shiny motorcycle,” he said. “It’s great in that regard.”

The RCMP tours the bikes to events, and Knight finds that the public approach him to talk about the bike, and he is able to shift the conversation towards motorcycle safety.

“It’s a platform for education,” he says. 

The public has so far provided positive feedback about the RCMP’s motorcycle program. It has spurred the national police force to order more of the Harley Davidson Road Kings.

“The public is happy with what we’re doing,” Knight says. “It provides another tool for us to do our job with.”