Keeping those on two wheels safe

Keeping those who choose to use our roads on two wheels safe is a 24/7, year-round priority for us across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire, with road safety sitting at the heart of Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion’s West Mercia Safer Communities Plan.

This week we will be supporting a national operation to highlight and raise awareness of the work roads policing officers, local policing teams and communities do every day to reduce the number of motorcyclists that are killed or seriously injured on our roads.

Motorcyclists unfortunately feature heavily in road collisions.  The Highway Code was amended three years ago to place more responsibility on those road users who have potential to cause the greatest harm, helping to improve the safety for people riding motorbikes.

This national operation is an opportunity to educate those using motorbikes of the dangers of not having the correct skills, knowledge and personal protective equipment. It is also an opportunity to raise awareness amongst all road users and to improve driver behaviour when sharing the road with motorcyclists.

Ioana Petrescu’s husband (attached photograph) lost his life in a motorcycle collision in Worcestershire in August 2022, supporting this campaign she said; “Losing my husband Dragos in a motorcycle collision has shown me how quickly life can change and how far the impact of a crash reaches. I hope his loss reminds riders to stay safe, check their bikes and ride within their limits, and encourages drivers to look twice for motorcycles. Every rider on the road is someone’s loved one”.

Inspector Darren Godsall for West Mercia Police comments: “Supporting this national operation is an important way of raising road safety issues amongst motorcyclists and other road users.  Unfortunately 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 reduce this.  This not only means specific activity targeting those using motorbikes but all other motorists on the role they can individually play to keep those using two wheels safer”.

Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said: “Motorcyclists are one of the most vulnerable groups on our roads, and it’s important we work together with all road users and partners to make our roads safer for everyone. We are and will continue to do this through a combination of enforcement and education. Last year, I announced £68K of grant funding to seven projects to promote road safety through education, funding that included support for the Motorcycle Riders Hub, a digital upskilling education platform.

One death on our roads is one too many, and it’s only by working together to change driver behaviour can we effect positive change, so that no more families have to lose a loved one in a road traffic collision.”

As part of the operation refreshed THINK BIKE posters have been erected along key motorcycle routes to raise awareness to both motorcyclists and other road users of the importance of looking out for each other.