Police urge bikers to take care after fatal crashes

Deputy Chief Constable Simon Blatchly offered his condolences to families of bikers who had died in recent crashes

Police have urged motorcyclists to take care on Derbyshire's roads over the bank holiday weekend following a series of fatal crashes.

Nine riders have died in crashes on the county's roads in the past month.

They included five men who were killed in two separate crashes near Buxton on Sunday.

Derbyshire Police said it would be increasing its presence on the roads over the weekend.

'Utterly devastating'

Deputy Chief Constable Simon Blatchly said: "There will be an increased police presence in the Peaks this weekend, and in the coming weeks. and I would urge anyone with loved ones who are bikers to reiterate our plea to come home safe.

"One fatal collision on our roads is one too many – but to have five people die within a matter of minutes last weekend really is unprecedented.

"As a force we see first-hand the utterly devastating aftereffects of these incidents – with officers having to deliver the news to families that their loved ones will never be coming home."

Riders have been urged to be careful even on roads they know well

As well as the five recent deaths near Buxton, two riders died on the A621, between Baslow and Owler Bar and two were killed on the A57 Snake Pass near Glossop.

PC Chris Ryan, from the force's roads policing unit, urged riders to keep to sensible speeds.

He said: "It might be a road you go on all the time, but on a bank holiday there's going to be a lot of people on the road, there's going to be things that weren't there the last time you went on that road.

"When you're coming over, have a plan, know where you're going so you're not chasing the person in front of you, you're all going to the same place, and take your time and enjoy what you're doing.

"There is no gravel pit for the bike to go into, there's no run-off track, ultimately it isn't a racetrack."

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