Police reveal worst month for crashes amid warning ahead of ‘rising death toll’ on popular roads

A police force has issued an urgent warning ahead of Britain’s worst month for collisions. Warwickshire Police shared key safety advice days ahead of the start of July – said to be the ‘peak month’ for crashes involving motorcyclists.

Officers urged motorcyclists – who account for more than 20% of those killed in crashes – to take extra care and “ride defensively”. The force also asked drivers to be extra vigilant and look “at least twice” for riders, especially when approaching junctions.

In Warwickshire, the causes of collisions include the vehicle driver or rider not looking properly, failing to judge the other person’s path or speed, and careless or reckless driving. In others, poor turns or maneuvers, speed or loss of control contributed to the accidents.

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OPU Traffic Inspector Si Paull, a motorcyclist himself, has given his own advice for staying safe on the roads as his team prepares to increase patrols in the area throughout July. “Our country roads are popular with motorcyclists, particularly in the south of the county where we have the Fosse Way and other great routes,” he said.

“I’m a motorcyclist myself and while these roads are great fun for motorcyclists, they are challenging and this is where we see most of our worst collisions. In addition to making a habit of continuing to learn to become safer and more secure. more savvy motorcyclist, we urge motorcyclists to wear the correct protective clothing, slow down for intersections and ensure they are seen by motorists especially when approaching intersections.

“While most motorcyclists enjoy their bikes responsibly, we make no apologies to those who choose to speed that we have increased our patrols and will use both marked and unmarked bikes and cars to target speeding motorcyclists and drivers during NPCC Operation Fatal 4. from July 1 to 31.”

Warwickshire Police said that although “motorcyclists make up less than three per cent of vehicles on the UK’s roads, they account for more than 20 per cent of those killed in collisions”. The force added: “This is a shocking statistic and although we know that drivers not looking properly, particularly at junctions, can be a major cause of collisions involving motorcyclists, it is not always the driver who is at fault.

“In Warwickshire between 2019 and 2023, the most important contributing factors to collisions involving motorcycles of more than 500cc and over were the vehicle’s driver or rider not looking properly; did not judge the path or speed of the other person; was careless/careless/in a hurry; lost control or exceeded the speed limit.