With a national enforcement campaign starting next week, West Mercia Police are encouraging those using two wheels to stay safe and urging all motorists to share the road responsibly to reduce the number of collisions we continue to see involving motorcycles and bicycles.
The campaign is being run across the UK and co-ordinated by NPCC, the National Police Chiefs’ Council, to improve road safety and law enforcement.
Over the past 3 years (2019-2021) 27 people have died and 297 have been seriously injured in collisions involving a motorcycle in West Mercia, a further 6 people died and 201 were seriously injured in collisions involving a bicycle.
Cyclists and motorcyclists unfortunately feature heavily within road collisions. The aim of the national campaign is to raise awareness amongst all road users to improve driver behaviour when sharing the road with those on two wheels but also to educate those using cycles and motorbikes of the dangers of not having the correct skills, knowledge and personal protective equipment.
Superintendent Steph Brighton for West Mercia Police comments: “Supporting this national campaign with local activities and increased enforcement is an important way of raising road safety issues amongst cyclists, motorcyclists and other road users. Unfortunately cyclists and motorcyclists are over-represented within our road collision statistics and we want to ensure we are doing all we can with both education and enforcement to keep these two groups safer. This not only means specific activity with these two groups but with all other motorists on the role they can play to keep our vulnerable road users safer”.
As part of the campaign THINK BIKE posters will be erected along key motorcycle routes to raise awareness to both motorcyclists and other road users of the importance of looking out for each other. Throughout the campaign officers will also be conducting various operations to enforce compliance of road traffic regulations and improve driver/rider behaviour.
