Police safety drive slashes motorbike deaths in region

The Humberside Police roads policing team, based at Driffield, has recorded a 37 per cent reduction in the number of riders being killed or badly hurt on the region's roads since the launch of Operation Achilles in 2004.

Police motorbikes fitted with recording equipment now patrol known speeding hotspots, leading to prosecutions of serious offenders.

The initiative has also offered some motorcyclists the option of a "ride referral" scheme, through which they can attend a one-day course aimed at challenging and improving their behaviour as an alternative to prosecution.

The course is self-funded and riders can only attend one every three years. Anyone declining the offer is prosecuted.

Pc Glen Dennis, casualty reduction officer, said: "Operation Achilles has been a continuing success year on year and the results speak for themselves. To attend the scene of a serious road traffic collision, words really do fail you and it is indescribable how this makes you feel."

The numbers killed or seriously hurt on the A166 fell from four in 2008 to two last year, and on the B1249, the number of serious casualties fell from three to one over the same period.

Insp Mark Hughes, who oversees the East Riding traffic department, added: "Our roads can be very inviting to the well established motorcyclists, wanting to brush the cobwebs off their motorcycles when the weather starts to improve, but also our roads invite inappropriate and anti-social riding and driving.

"Due to the severity of offences some of our roads users are committing we often have no option but to refer them straight to court.

"But what people must take on board is, our primary aim is to reduce the amount of road casualties, both the offenders themselves and other innocent motorists."