PARTNERSHIP SUPPORTS MOTORCYCLE EVENT

Mid & South Wales Safety Camera Partnership is asking all motorcyclists to take care this weekend when travelling to the Superbike event at Castle Combe in Wiltshire.

The partnership has joined forces with other safety camera partnerships in the south west to sponsor the event’s ‘Community Partnership Trophy’ to highlight the need for safe motorcycling and respect for routes that go through local communities. Zoe Stow, chair of RoadPeace, a charity dedicated to supporting bereaved and injured road crash victims, will present the trophy to the winner.

Thirty four people were killed and 156 seriously injured in motorcycle accidents last year on roads in Mid and South Wales. Nationally, motorcyclists represent less than one per cent of road traffic but account for almost 18 per cent of deaths and serious injuries. Research shows that motorcyclists are 45 times more likely to be killed than a car driver and the figures are rising.

“Taking part in speed related sports is fine as long as it’s on a race track and not on public roads. Motorcycling on the open road can be fun but it is important that riders think about their speed so they can stick to the limits and have as much time as possible to react to hazards,” said Phil Davies, manager of Mid & South Wales Safety Camera Partnership. “This trophy is a symbol of responsible motorcycling and the message is clearly one of respecting other road users and communities by observing speed limits on public roads.”

Zoe Stow from RoadPeace added: “RoadPeace is very pleased to support this initiative to promote safe motorcycling. The loss of so many lives in motorcycling crashes is a continuing tragedy and we must ensure that lessons are learned for the future particularly in relation to speed.”