Police target rogue bikers

Bikers and motorists in Rotherham will be among those targeted by the scheme which hopes to stem the traditional rise in casualties on the roads during the the summer.

Officers plan to team up with BikeSafe—a group offering rider safety courses—to educate bikers alongside other publicity campaigns and heightened speed enforcement activities.

A spokesman for South Yorkshire Police said: “Roadside education and enforcement operations will underpin this year’s campaign with the aim of reducing rider casualties and improving road-user behaviour.

“This will be complimented with BikeSafe workshop sessions being run across the region, the launch of a new national smart phone app to aid riders plan their riding routes, rider information and engagement sessions, and a campaign encouraging drivers to look out for bikers.”

The spokesman said that road safety partnerships and police forces would be stepping up their activities to help bikers ensure that they do not become yet another tragic statistic, but added : “There are a very small number of riders who dismiss these opportunities and think that our road network provides an alternative ‘track day,’ where anything goes.”

Humberside Police Deputy Chief Constable David Griffin, who is also police national lead for motorcycling, said: “We will not tolerate anti-social riding and the region’s police are working together with road safety partnerships to eradicate this problem.

“This small minority will be caught and may be diverted to education courses where possible.

“Extreme riding is unacceptable; we will prosecute and dangerous riders will be targeted by officers from all forces across all borders.”