Bike accidents cut as police drive home safety message

Statistics released yesterday by the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership show that, between January and August 2010, 175 motorcyclists were injured on the county's roads, an overall reduction of 29 per cent compared with figures from the same period over the previous three years.

To carry out their crackdown, South Yorkshire Police's specialist motorcycle officers focused on 27 stretches of road which were identified as the worst in the county for motorcycle casualties.

Between April 1 and September 30 each year since 2007, officers patrolled the roads in question on Wednesday evenings and on Sundays, when intelligence suggests there are more motorcyclists about.

Officers also attended well-known meeting places on routes to British Super Bike meetings with colleagues from neighbouring forces.

Sergeant Graham Sayner, head of South Yorkshire Police's motorcycle wing, said: "We have now run this specific initiative for four years and the reductions in casualties we have seen are not insignificant. Rather than just

enforcing the law, we have seen the benefit of engaging with

and educating fellow motorcyclists out and about on our

roads.

"This, along with our more formal workshops, will hopefully continue to drive down the numbers of motorcyclists killed and seriously injured."