MOTORCYCLE fatalities in Hampshire have dropped to their lowest level for six years. But the number of people killed in motorcycle collisions last year on the notorious A339 was one fifth of the total fatalities which occurred in 2003, figures released by the police revealed this week. Safety partnerships, high-visibility weekend police patrols and £200,000 spent on improvements to the Alton-to-Basingstoke road, whose bendy and challenging layout pulls in bikers from around the country, have been credited as factors in the reduction. A report by Hampshire's Roads Policing Unit (RPU) showed that in the last 12 months only one motorcyclist has died on the A339, compared to five in 2003. Fatalities on the A32 and A272, two other local roads which have experienced a disproportionate number of motorcycle crashes, have also dropped significantly. Pc Mick Gear, the co-ordinator of BikeSafe, an initiative that seeks to teach bikers how to ride responsibly, said: "There has been a remarkable drop in the number of motorcyclists who have been killed on roads across the two counties so far this year, and we are pleased that our efforts appear to be working." Roads across the rest of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight have seen a marked reduction in deaths. Over the two counties, a total of 10 motorcyclists died in 2004, compared with 33 in 2003 and 22 in 2002. However, the officer warned against becoming complacent and vowed to continue to "drive these figures down". "Ten people still died in motorcycle collisions in 2004 and that is 10 too many," he said. "Motorcyclists are more vulnerable than other road users and we will continue to work hard to educate riders of the need to improve their skills and ride sensibly, within their capability, and within the law." He added: "Anyone who rides dangerously, inappropriately or at excessive speed will be dealt with in the appropriate manner."
