Crash figures spark new warning to drivers to look out for motorbikes

The appeal comes as figures reveal almost 30% of fatal or serious crashes in the county so far in 2016 involved motorcyclists, despite motorbikes making up just 0.8% of road users.

A rider was killed on the M11 at the weekend, while two others were seriously injured elsewhere in the county.

Adam Pipe, casualty reduction manager at Essex Police, said: “This is a high-risk group.

“Investigations are ongoing into the specific causes of these crashes, but in general there is a massive responsibility upon drivers to be very aware of their surroundings, and for motorcyclists themselves to take that extra bit of care.

“These were tragic consequences this weekend, and that is someone else not coming home.

“At the moment, particularly in the south and west of the county, there’s a group who are really worrying us, caught doing wheelies through speed cameras, not wearing helmets, using off-road bikes.

“These people are not only a risk to themselves but a risk to others as well.”

On Thursday Aaron Hodgkins of Colne Road, Sible Hedingham, admitted speeding during a hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates Court.

Hodgkins, 21, had been caught doing 124mph along a 70mph stretch of the A130 at East Hanningfield on March 29, on a Suzuki GSX750 motorbike.

He was banned from the road for six weeks, fined £80, and ordered to pay £110 in court costs and charges.

Mr Pipe said: “Six weeks is quite significant, especially when most people in this day and age need a vehicle to get around.”

A general roads day of action was held by the Safer Essex Roads Partnership in Colchester on Thursday with two check sites being manned by police.

In total 134 offences were spotted by officers.

These included 66 drivers not wearing seat belts and 28 using a mobile phone, four motorists speeding and one jumping a red traffic light.

Six vehicles had no insurance, 11 no MoT, and one driver was not keeping to the conditions of their licence.

One vehicle was overweight, one banned from the road immediately for its condition, while another was deemed to be in a dangerous condition.

Six drivers were stopped for careless driving, and one for drug-driving.

Mr Pipe said: “A suspected drug-driver was stopped today after their car flagged up on Automatic Number Plate Recognition as we had intelligence it was someone known to drink or drug-drive, which really underlines the important role the public play in this.

“In the future there will be an even greater role for dashcam footage, which we need to embrace.

“Last weekend we had 34 people arrested for drink or drug-driving which is totally unacceptable and shows the extent of what I believe is still out there.

“We are out there taking as much possible action through enforcement and education around the fatal four – using mobile phones, speeding, not wearing seat belts and drink or drug-driving.”