Nottinghamshire Police is teaming up with local Blood Bike riders to promote motorcycle safety over the summer months.
The number of riders killed or seriously injured on the force’s roads increased by 25 per cent in 2024 – a trend the force is keen to reverse.
With support from Nottinghamshire Blood Bikes, the force is distributing a range of promotional ‘Think Bike’ safety items from the Shiny Side Up partnership to riders across the county.
The branded back packs, snoods, key rings and stickers will be distributed by the Blood Bikers riders throughout the summer in return for voluntary donations direct to Notts Blood Bikes.
Heidi Duffy MBE, Traffic Management officer at Nottighamshire Police, said:
“The summer months are when we see an increase in the numbers of crashes involving motorcyclists – whether they are riding for leisure or for work.
“Sadly, these riders and their passengers are involved in a high number of incidents, despite accounting for low numbers of overall road journeys made.
“The human impact of these incidents is horrendous for everyone involved – from riders’ loved ones all the way down to the emergency responders who attend the scene.
“So, as well as reaching out directly to bikers we also want to educate drivers about the role they can play in keeping riders safe by remembering to ‘think bike.’
In 2024, six motorcyclists were killed and 97 seriously injured in Nottinghamshire. Another 144 were slightly injured on the county’s roads.
Whilst some of these incidents involved only a single bike, many of these incidents involved riders coming into conflict with cars – particularly at junctions.
Les Norman, a rider with Nottinghamshire Blood Bikes, added:
“We have seen a particular rise in the number of right turners taking out motorcyclists at junctions.
“So, if you are in traffic and you do decide to make that right turn – please be sure to look in your mirror to make sure there is no motorcyclist coming up that side.
“Taking time to ‘think bike’ before pulling out of junctions only takes a second and could literally save somebody’s life.”
The Nottinghamshire Blood Bikers can be found at:
- outside Tesco Top Valley tomorrow (Saturday 28 June)
- outside M&S in Giltbrook between 10am and 4pm on 5 and 6 July
- at the Eastwood Festival on 6 July
- at the Idlewells Shopping centre on 11 July
- outside Morrisons, Netherfield on 18,19,and 20 July
- outside Co-op Southwell on the 26 July
- and at the Keyworth Funday on 26 July.
