POLICE have launched a campaign aimed at reducing the number of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured on East Lancashire’s roads.

Bikewatch is a six-month campaign, with Lancashire Constabulary, the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety and RideSafe BackSafe joining forces.

The campaign will involve officers and volunteers from RideSafe BackSafe visiting bike meetings and dealerships to speak to riders and hand out road safety information.

Road policing officers will also carry out enforcement activity on routes popular with motorcyclists which are known to be casualty hotspots.

Chief Inspector Damian Kitchen from Lancashire Constabulary’s Roads Policing Unit said a number of major East Lancashire roads were popular with bikers.

These include the A682 between Blacko and Settle, the A59 heading to the North Yorkshire border, the A680 and A56 from Greater Manchester to the Ribble Valley and Burnley and the A666, which runs through Darwen and Blackburn to Langho.

He said: “Motorcyclists account for just one per cent of traffic on our roads but 21 per cent of fatalities. They are vulnerable road users who often come off worse in collisions.

“Last year alone, nine motorcyclists were killed in Lancashire and 526 injured – 180 of them seriously.

“It isn’t just about giving tickets out.

“If we see dangerous driving that doesn’t quite merit prosecution, we may still pull the driver over and educate them on what they are doing wrong.”

According to insurance company Bennetts, today is statistically the most dangerous day to ride a motorcycle.

Thursdays in general are the worst day for bike accidents, the data from insurance claims also showed.