Police urge all road users to help reduce two-wheel collisions

Monday 17 April is the start of the ‘Two Wheel’ campaign led by the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC). The campaign will run until Sunday 23 April and during this time, Suffolk Constabulary will be working to highlight motorcycle and bicycle safety across our county’s roads. As the weather begins to improve, we understand that we are likely to see an increased number of cyclists and motorcyclists. Highways England’s data shows that the peak months for motorcyclist collisions are April and September. Whilst motorcyclists make up only 1% of the motoring population, they are 16 times more likely to be injured in a serious or fatal collision. This makes them one of the most vulnerable road users, alongside cyclists. Throughout the campaign there will a high visibility presence on the roads in Suffolk with officers engaging with riders about the ways in which they can best protect themselves from the threats on the roads. Unmarked vehicles will also be patrolling areas where we have seen an increase in two-wheel collisions which provides an opportunity to educate all road users about the safety of those who choose to ride bicycles and motorcycles and how they can improve their driver behaviour when interacting with vulnerable road users. Chief Inspector Jon Chapman, Head of the Roads and Armed Policing Team, said: “This campaign serves as a great reminder of the collective responsibility we all have as road users to look after one another. I would like to stress that the focus of these campaigns are not prosecutions. Our priority is the safety of Suffolk’s road users. We look to achieve this through educating drivers and riders and providing them with the skills and knowledge they need to be safe. Of course, if a motoring offence is committed, we will look to enforce regulations where appropriate.” Around 25% of fatal collisions involving motorcycles do not involve another vehicle. This indicates that factors such as speeding, careless and dangerous riding or poor manoeuvring could be to blame. Motorcyclists are encouraged to take up the opportunity to improve their riding skills by attending a Safe Rider course, more details about which can be found on the Suffolk Police website here: Safe Rider Workshops | Suffolk Constabulary