One in five road users killed or seriously injured each year are motorcyclists warns a top cop on the launch of a two-week safety campaign which will see police out and about across the county’s roads with the aim of helping everyone enjoy their outings safely.
This new national campaign will help riders identify dangerous situations quickly and protect themselves, as well as sharing other riding techniques provided by some of the nation’s best riders.
A new Ride Craft Hub website provides tips and explainers from pro riders all aimed at helping motorcyclists be better on their bikes, and to reduce harm to riders on the road. Police motorbike and traffic officers will be speaking with riders and sharing tip cards over the summer, supporting everyone in enjoying the county’s road networks safely.
Motorcyclists are often not seen when a vehicles pulls out at a junction and this type of incident is one of the leading causes of motorcycle collisions. The most recent data reveals that 11 motorcyclists lost their lives on Kent roads in 2023.
Chief Inspector Craig West from Kent Police’s Roads Policing Unit said:
‘We are pleased to be supporting this campaign and will be out in force to keep riders safe.
‘Junctions are one of the most common places for a motorcycle collision and we will do whatever we can to help riders spot a potential collision before they happen.
‘The main aim of the operation is to engage with motorcyclists, but we will also have a close eye on the road network and if we encounter motorists having a clear lack of respect for the law we will deal with this appropriately.’
Chief Superintendent Marc Clothier is National Police Chiefs’ Council Operational Lead for the campaign. He said:
‘Approximately 20 per cent of all killed and seriously injured road users each year are motorcyclists, despite them only representing 1 per cent of road miles travelled. This new campaign and related activity is designed to change that.
‘We tested the tip cards and Ride Craft Hub resources over the Easter weekend in a number of police forces and it was really well received by riders so we’re pleased to see it rolled out nationally.
‘The campaign has been informed by extensive research to ensure it is effective in reaching our motorcyclist communities and as a keen rider myself, I know that no matter how good someone is on their motorbike – we’re always keen to be better.’