Police are encouraging motorcyclists to stay safe on north-east roads ahead of the clocks going forward this weekend.
Operation Zenith, a scheme launched in 2010, is aimed at cutting the number of motorcyclists involved in crashes on the region’s roads.
Bikers are particularly vulnerable and, every year, riders and pillion passengers are regularly among those killed or seriously injured.
The overwhelming majority of motorcycle casualties are men with almost a third of those killed aged between 40 and 49. One in three motorcycle incidents in this group do not involve other vehicles.
As biking season begins, Roads Policing Inspector Jon Barron has urged all motorists to be aware, stay safe and avoid taking risks.
He said: “Although a national initiative, Operation Zenith fully embraces our local focus – Operation CEDAR (Challenge, Educate, Detect and Reduce). Zenith began in the north-east and has now been rolled out elsewhere.
“My plea to bikers is to ride responsibly and concentrate fully. You must be aware of your surroundings and not take risks. I don’t want to spoil anyone’s enjoyment of their hobby, but I have to urge caution.
“Casualty figures show that, while motorbikes only represent 1% of all road traffic, they account for 13% of fatalities.
“More than 85% of all motorcycle casualties happen in rural areas, in good weather, during the day and in the ‘biking season’ which generally runs from April to September.
“Please let this year be different. By all means, go for a ride on your vehicles and enjoy our roads and wonderful countryside, but please do so carefully, so that you, and everyone else, can get home safely.”
The most common types of crashes involving motorcyclists include a failure to negotiate bends on rural roads; collisions at junctions and while overtaking; and the rider losing control with no other vehicles involved.
Any sudden changes in weather conditions, excessive speed and poor judgement invariably add to these dangers.
Inspector Barron added: “Other motorists must play their part and look out for bikers. These collisions are not always the fault of the riders.
“Collisions regularly occur due to other motorists failing to see or failing to react to the presence of a motorcycle.
“It is vitally important, particularly at junctions and when overtaking, that you all ‘think bike’.”
