Motorcycle safety is main focus of weekend of action
A weekend of action to encourage safe driving on Scotland’s roads gets under way today, Friday 24 May, 2024.
It is the first of three weekends of targeted action as part of Police Scotland’s annual motorcycle safety campaign which runs from April to September – the period where the highest number of motorcyclists are killed or seriously injured on our roads.
Officers from the national motorcycle unit will join local officers to engage with motorcyclists at popular hot spots to encourage safe and responsible riding. They will also be carrying out intelligence-led patrols in marked and unmarked police vehicles to engage with all drivers and riders.
Chief Superintendent Hilary Sloan, head of Road Policing, said: “Motorcyclists are one of the most vulnerable road users and are disproportionately represented in the number of people killed on Scotland’s roads.
“This weekend of action is one of several approaches we are taking to engage with the motorcycling community to encourage safe and responsible riding, and we are asking them to share our advice with others.
“Motorcycling can bring a huge sense of freedom and we see more riders on our roads between April and September. Unfortunately, we also see most collisions during this period, some of which cause life-changing injuries or even death.
“Loss of control is the most common factor and I want to alert riders to hazards and remind them to position their bikes for the best view around bends. Remember to wear the right clothing, make yourself visible and always wear a helmet.
“We all have a responsibility to take care on Scotland’s roads. This is why we will also be conducting intelligence-led patrols to extend our engagement with all drivers and riders throughout this weekend of targeted activity.”
Motorcyclists make up around one per cent of all road users yet account for 14 per cent of deaths.
In 2023/24 there were 151 road deaths and 27 were motorcyclists.
Around 90 per cent of motorcycle casualties are men and most collisions happen in rural areas, particularly weekends.
More information on motorcycle safety can be found on the Road Safety Scotland website.
