Look, check and check again
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We’re asking all road users to Look, check and check again for motorbikes. We’re asking riders to always think What’s happening ahead – can I stop?
This is the time of year we see a rise in the number of motorbikes on our roads in Lincolnshire. Sadly, we attend more collisions where people are killed or seriously injured in motorbike related collisions too.
The roads in Lincolnshire are a favourite for motorcyclists and we want riders to stay safe while travelling around the county.
We’ve looked at the causes of collisions involving motorcycles over the last three years and most common causes of RTCs where the rider of a motorbike is at fault.
The top six reasons are:
- careless and reckless riding and speeding
- failing to look properly
- loss of control
- failing to judge other’s direction or speed
- being impaired through alcohol
- lack of experience
We know there are many safe riders, who take their own riding, and the safety of themselves and other seriously. We are concerned for the riders who fail to see danger where it exists and think it’ll never happen to them.
Sgt Adie Scargill, Specialist Operations, Lincolnshire Police, said: “I'm a police motorcyclist and also own and ride a sports bike off duty too. There is a very real problem with a small number of riders who cause a substantial amount of danger on our roads; I see it both on and off duty.
“My ask of everyone who rides or drives on our roads in Lincolnshire, is to think what’s happening around you. Take a proper amount of time to look around you. I’m asking riders to think what may happen ahead of them, can they stop in time? I’m asking drivers to always think about and look for bikers.
“We can all do our part to stop people being killed and seriously injured on our roads.”
We want to do everything we can to stop motorcyclists being injured and sadly killed in collisions. Along with reducing casualties, we also receive a significant number of complaints from road users and communities adversely affected by motorcyclists riding inappropriately. These reports cover both sports bike riders in rural areas but also younger riders on mopeds and bikes under 125cc in towns and built-up areas.
Officers throughout the county will be proactively targeting motorcyclists and will robustly enforce laws connected with speed and antisocial driving. We will be reinforcing the educational aspect of completing additional rider training and wearing motorcycle safety gear.
During the campaign we will be engaging at a local level with local riders, checking the roadworthiness and documentation of riders. Encouraging them to consider their riding behaviour in a local area. Where anti-social riding is reported we will use our powers to seize vehicles and report riders and drivers alike.
Between March 2021 and February 2022, 70% (165 RTCs) of collisions where a motorcycle was involved in a collision, the motorcyclist was found to be at fault. The other 30% (65 RTCs) were caused by another vehicle.
We are not just targeting motorcycles; a number of collisions involve vehicles coming out from junctions into the path of motorbikes or carrying out left or right turns without checking the rear-view mirrors. We want every driver and rider to stop, look, check, check again and think “Bike” before they start their manoeuvre.
We are taking part in the National Police Chiefs Council campaign which aims to reduce motorcycle casualties and anti-social driving in April. Our campaign will continue to run throughout the spring and summer too.
Notes to Editors: Interview opportunities are available with Sgt Adie Scargill on Monday 4 April depending on operational commitments. Please email on Monday.