Police will be in the district over the Easter weekend as part of a campaign to tackle so-called SMIDSY accidents.
North Yorkshire Police says officers will work proactively with motorcyclists to try and prevent common accidents which bikers know by the acronym which stands for “sorry mate I didn’t see you”.
Police say motorcyclists are some of the most vulnerable road users featuring disproportionately in road collisions in the UK.
The most recent combined data from the DFT and National Road Traffic Census from 2021 reveals that 310 motorcyclists lost their lives and 5,264 were seriously injured on Britain’s roads.
Five-year data from 2016 to 2021 on reported road casualties cites failing to look properly on the part of a rider or driver as the most common contributing factor in fatal or serious collisions.
The data also reveals that T, Y or staggered junctions are the most common locations of motorcyclist casualties, representing 34.7% of combined fatalities and injuries.
As part of our operation this weekend police will be reminding all road users on how to ride responsibly on the roads and where necessary this will involve enforcement.
The force will be using our unmarked H2 Kawasaki road bike.
This machine is equipped with blue lights, a siren and a 4K camera which will be used to secure evidence.
Police will also deploy several police bikes and cars, some of which will be marked and some unmarked as well as safety camera vans on key routes across the county.
Officers and police volunteers will also be using an engagement trailer at well known hotspots to talk to riders about their ride preparation and behaviour on the road network.
Nationally, there will be 14 police forces who will be taking part in the Easter operation.
Police say they know that a vast majority of motorcyclists will travel into North Yorkshire from other areas and they will be working with nine police forces in the north of England (West Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Police, Lancashire Police, Cumbria Police, Northumbria Police, Humberside Police, Cleveland Police and Durham Police) to ensure that there is a high visibility police presence on county borders.
Inspector Clive Turner, from the roads policing group, said: “North Yorkshire is home to two national parks as well as 6000 miles of road. We want people to enjoy travelling here but not at the expense of other road users.
“Engagement is a key part of this Easter’s operation but where necessary we will use enforcement to prosecute as dangerous driving or riding is not acceptable.
“Sadly, my team and I are familiar with the devastating consequences that are caused by serious and fatal road traffic collisions. We will deploy on this operation with the mindset of doing everything that we can to ensure that everyone who is on the county’s road network this Easter goes home safely.
“ I would urge riders and drivers to think about their behaviour and what changes they could make to improve their own safety and that of other road users.”
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