Look, check and check again for motorcyclists - Lincs Police

This is the time of year police see a rise in the number of motorbikes on our roads in Lincolnshire, and attend more collisions where people are killed or seriously injured in motorbike related collisions.

Between March 2021 and February 2022, the motorcyclist was found to be at fault in 165 (70 percent) of collisions where a motorcycle was involved.

The other 30 percent (65 RTCs) were caused by another vehicle.

According to the force, the six most common causes of road traffic collisions where the rider of a motorbike is at fault are careless and reckless riding and speeding, failing to look properly, loss of control, failing to judge other’s direction or speed, being impaired through alcohol, and lack of experience.

Sgt Adie Scargill, Specialist Operations for Lincolnshire Police, said: “I’m a police motorcyclist and also own and ride a sports bike off duty too. There is a very real problem with a small number of riders who cause a substantial amount of danger on our roads; I see it both on and off duty.

“My ask of everyone who rides or drives on our roads in Lincolnshire, is to think what’s happening around you. Take a proper amount of time to look around you. I’m asking riders to think what may happen ahead of them, can they stop in time? I’m asking drivers to always think about and look for bikers.

“We can all do our part to stop people being killed and seriously injured on our roads.”

Lincolnshire Police also receive a significant number of complaints from road users and communities adversely affected by motorcyclists riding inappropriately.

These reports cover both sports bike riders in rural areas but also younger riders on mopeds and bikes under 125cc in towns and built-up areas.

Officers throughout the county will be proactively targeting motorcyclists and will robustly enforce laws connected with speed and antisocial driving. We will be reinforcing the educational aspect of completing additional rider training and wearing motorcycle safety gear.

Officers will also be engaging at a local level with local riders, checking the roadworthiness and documentation of riders, as well as encouraging them to consider their riding behaviour in a local area.

Police officers are not just targeting motorcycles; a number of collisions involve vehicles coming out from junctions into the path of motorbikes or carrying out left or right turns without checking the rear-view mirrors, and want every driver and rider to stop, look, check, check again and think “Bike” before they start their manoeuvre.