HAMPSHIRE police have been campaigning to improve the safety of the county’s motorcyclists.

Last week, Hampshire Constabulary supported the NPCC (formerly the ACPO) National Motorcycle Week of Action using high-tech video footage.

Video shot from a police motorcyclist were released by the Joint Operations Unit showing a rider talking through his actions step-by-step.

The aim was to help improve rider behaviour and road safety in an effort to reduce the number of those seriously hurt or even killed on Hampshire roads.

Officers stopped 182 bikers across the county and the Isle of Wight throughout the week, which lasted from March 30-April 5, to give advice as well as report them for any offences.

Of those pulled over, Whitchurch-based police pulled over 30 riders, police in Totton pulled over 48, while in Fratton 78 riders were asked to stop.

Around 9 per cent of the 182 motorcyclists interviewed had been involved in some form of collision, 66 per cent of whom had a bike over 125cc in size.

Eleven per cent had been caught speeding and five per cent were caught driving carelessly.

Of the 94 motorcyclists stopped on suspicion of various offences, nine per cent were given a fixed penalty notice or sent on a referral course and three per cent were reported for summons.

Nearly 50 per cent were stopped having committed no offences but were given information about driving courses.

Hampshire Constabulary road safety sergeant, Rob Heard, said: “These latest results are encouraging, as shown by the relatively small number of motorcyclists caught speeding across the week.

“As the weather improves, more and more people are deciding to get their motorcycles out to either commute to work or go out for a leisure ride. We are asking riders and motorists to look out for each other and to be considerate towards each other. We are reminding people to ‘think bike’ and ‘bikers think’.

“We have identified three high risk groups of motorcyclists. These are leisure riders, commuters, and young scooter riders. Motorists pulling out from junctions really do need to be vigilant for all three types of motorcyclists, especially at dusk. Thirty-five per cent of injury collisions involve 16- to- 20-year-olds. Many of these are scooter riders and I would ask anyone riding a moped to be sure that they are confident and vigilant before driving on busier roads.”