Stats drive motorbike safety campaign

A MOTORCYCLIST has died or been seriously injured every week and ahalf, on average, in the Southern police district in the past four years.

Those numbers are the reason why the district’s road police are conducting a motorbike safety campaign this month.

Senior Sergeant Glenn Wilkinson said ‘‘Operation Rumble’’ would focus on State Highways 6 and 8, as well as the Crown Range Rd, in the Otago LakesCentral area.

Police would be stopping motorcyclists to check driver’s licences, carry out breathalcohol tests and ‘‘have a chat’’ about their level of riding experience.

Sixteen motorcyclists died in crashes in the Southern district in the four years to December 31 last year, while 132 suffered serious injuries.

That toll has risen this year already — a 47yearold Swiss national died near Cardrona village on January 6 after his motorcycle collided headon with a car.

Snr Sgt Wilkinson said many riders were men who owned motorbikes in their youth and had taken up riding again in middle age.

They could afford to buy bigger, more powerful machines, but usually did not think to update the skills they had in their 20s.

Police would recommend to motorcyclists they take a ‘‘Ride Forever’’ course, an ACCfunded programme that offered handson training courses ranging from a fourhour session for $20 to a day’s training for $50.

Southern district acting road policing manager Senior Sergeant Steve Larking said the major causes of motorcycle crashes were loss of control, excessive speed, alcohol and drugs, inexperience and position on the road.

More crashes occurred on urban roads than open roads, he said.