Road safety campaign aimed at motorcyclists

The campaign will support the NPCC (National Police Chiefs’ Council) National Motorcycle Week of Action, which runs from March 21 – 27.

The purpose of the campaign is to improve rider behaviour, improve road safety and contribute to a reduction in the numbers of those killed and seriously injured.

A dedicated team of police motorcyclists will be using marked and unmarked bikes, supported by traffic cars, to engage and educate motorcyclists as well as dealing with any offences identified while on patrol. The focus will be on routes which have a history of high motorcycle casualties and will also be supported by mobile camera vans which will be enforcing the speed limits on these same routes.

Nationally the numbers of motorcyclists being killed or seriously injured is on the increase; last year a total of 51 riders and one pillion passenger lost their lives across the East Midlands, many of these fatalities happened between April and October.

Motorcycle users remain the road user group with the highest rate of collisions and casualties per mile travelled. Motorcyclists make up just one per cent of total road traffic but account for 19 per cent of all road user deaths.

Chief Inspector Phil Vickers of Lincolnshire Police, who is heading up the regional campaign, said: “Along with enforcing the law our campaign also aims to offer advice to riders to help improve their road skills, make their riding safer and more enjoyable while also encouraging them to take further training, either through their local Police or Council road safety teams.”