Road safety officers join forces to keep motorcyclists safe this bank holiday weekend

With the expected sunny weather and the additional day off work for many, jumping on a motorbike and enjoying the perfect riding conditions is tempting, and we want to keep these riders safe.

With the expected sunny weather and the additional day off work for many, jumping on a motorbike and enjoying the perfect riding conditions is tempting, and we want to keep these riders safe. 

Throughout bank holiday Monday (29 May) roads policing officers from northern forces will be taking part in operations throughout their areas with this aim. 

Stopping at popular motorcyclist meeting spots they will be engaging with riders about the importance of staying safe on the road, ensuring bikes are well maintained and road legal. 

Other road users will also be educated around how they can play their part in reducing the risk of injury to motorcyclists. 

North Yorkshire Police Superintendent Alex Butterfield, said: “In northern England we have some of the most picturesque roads in the country and these are understandably attractive to a variety of road users. Sadly, statistically, motorcyclists are at higher risk of serious injury or worse amongst those who use our roads. 

“Many of our roads policing officers are keen motorcyclists too and understand the risks but also understand how we can work together to reduce them. Therefore, we are bringing together this expertise to help keep motorcyclists safe. 

“This bank holiday weekend is also, for many, the start of the school half term. This often means our roads will be busy with tourists on day trips and those staying longer, potentially towing caravans or trailers – when visitors aren’t familiar with the area it can lead to errors, and these can have severe consequences. 

“We need to work together to keep our roads and those who use them safe, and we hope we will achieve this.” 

North Yorkshire Police will be using their H2 Kawasaki motorbike alongside the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Fire Bike to boost engagement. 

North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service Station Manager Mark Upton who will be riding Fire Bike for this operation, said: “We all want road users in North Yorkshire to be safe and operations like this help achieve our aim. 

“As firefighters we have seen the devastating aftermath of a serious injury or fatal collision and the impact it has on everyone involved. We want to prevent anyone else going through this which is why we are fully supporting our colleagues at North Yorkshire Police.” 

Both North Yorkshire Police and North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service offer extremely popular educational courses aimed at the biking community – more information can be found on their websites. 

The forces taking part in this day of action alongside North Yorkshire Police, include Humberside Police, West Yorkshire Police, Durham Constabulary, Cleveland Police, South Yorkshire Police, Lancashire Constabulary, Cheshire Constabulary and Northumbria Police. 

Throughout the day photographs and video footage will be shared across the North Yorkshire Police Facebook and Instagram stories.