MOTORISTS ASKED TO WATCH THEIR SPEED FOLLOWING RECENT DEATHS

The Safety Camera Partnership is asking all motorcyclists to think about their riding skills and watch their speeds following a recent spate of serious collisions, some of which have resulted in fatal injuries.

In one weekend in June, two motorcyclist fatalities occurred on roads within the Partnership’s area, which covers the police forces of Dyfed Powys, South Wales and Gwent. Motorcycle speeds of more than 120mph have also been recorded by cameras during recent enforcement – driving at 120mph, a motorcyclist is covering more than 175ft per second. The Safety Camera Partnership is undertaking a series of operations involving marked and unmarked patrol cars, motorcycles and safety camera vans to clamp down on the number of motorcycles speeding.

Figures released from the Safety Camera Partnership reveal that despite a 19 per cent reduction in motorcycle fatalities in 2002 compared to 2001, there have already been 12 fatalities to date in 2003.

John Rowling, project manager of the Safety Camera Partnership, said: “While the overall reduction in 2002 was testament in part to our proactive operations, which included an appeal to all motorcyclists to work with us to make the roads safer for all concerned, the number of fatalities during the first six months of this year highlights the need for constant awareness of the consequences of riding motorcycles at inappropriate speeds. Some of the speeds we have witnessed recently are not acceptable and leave no room for error.”

Superintendent Paul Phillips of Dyfed Powys Police added: “This year we have seen nine motorcyclists killed in our Force area with eight of these fatalities occurring in Powys alone. The majority of these collisions occur during the late afternoon period where fatigue may be a factor and we would ask all motorcyclists to take regular breaks during their journeys.

“We are aware that Powys is an attractive venue for motorcyclists from all over the UK on weekends for a number of reasons and that the majority of these riders are responsible road users. We welcome them into our area. However there are a small minority who do not consider the safety of themselves and other road users and are placing themselves and others at a serious risk. This is totally unacceptable and we will continue to enforce the law rigorously in an attempt to protect these people.

“Education still forms a significant part of our strategy to reduce motorcyclist collisions in the form of Bikesafe and I would encourage all motorcyclists to take up the opportunity to go for an observed ride with experienced police motorcyclists to share their experiences.”

To find out more about your nearest training course, please contact your local police force or log on to www.handleitorloseit.com