POLICE have launched a new motorcycle safety campaign to raise awareness among the “born-again bikers”

Statistics show that over the last ten years, 141 motorcyclists have died and 1,328 have been seriously injured on North Yorkshire’s roads.

And in the last year alone, 60 per cent of those who lost their lives on the county’s roads were men aged between 40 and 49.

The data shows that weekend riders are more at risk and that 70 per cent of motorcycle collisions are due to rider error, with the main cause being loss of control on a bend or when overtaking other vehicles.

Nearly all of the collisions have involved a powerful bike with an engine size of 500cc and above.

Now a month-long campaign aims to raise self-awareness about riders’ physical capabilities and increase understanding of the heightened risk to this group of middle-aged men - who have often purchased their high-powered “dream ride” after a long gap out of the saddle or are even completely new to biking.

Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick said: “Our road casualty statistics clearly show that middle-aged men are more likely than any other group to be involved in fatal and serious injury collisions when riding their bike.

“This is the context behind the new safety campaign, and it is important that we try new ways to get the message across to those most at risk.

“Remember, motorbikes have got faster and your reaction times have got slower. Please don’t let your dream ride to turn into a nightmare.”

A video promoting the campaign can be seen at northyorkshire.police.uk/bikers