Staying safe on Porirua’s roads is the aim of Motorcycle Awareness Month, starting 1 September.

Beginning in 2017, the now-annual campaign kicks off in a period of the year where motorcycle registration traditionally spikes to more than 50 per cent, as riders look to get their bikes road-ready after winter. The campaign is targeted at not just motorcyclists, but other vehicle owners as well.

Motorcycles make up less than 5 per cent of the vehicles on New Zealand’s roads, but account for 20 per cent of all serious injuries and deaths. About 50 riders and pillion passengers are involved in fatal crashes each year.

The Ride Forever programme - supported by ACC, the Motorcycle Safety Advisory Council, police, councils and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi - aims to engage all road users to make the road safer. From September, the instances of crashes, injuries, ACC claims and fatalities go up, so the programme aims to:

• celebrate motorcyclists’ love of riding
• make sure bikes and gear are ready to be used
• wear yellow if possible to be more visible
• increase awareness on how to look for motorcyclists, including the ‘look again’ tagline you’ll see on advertising and radio ads.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker says, following the drink-driving campaign spearheaded by police in July, this is another way of keeping the often-appalling crash numbers down on Porirua’s roads.

"Some of our city’s roads are not easy to traverse, so any initiative that gets people thinking about checking who is on the road with you, or how motorcyclists can stay safe, is important.

"We all want to get from A to B safely, so I would love all road users to take heed and drive carefully."

There are a number of Motorcycle Awareness Month activities planned, including Ride Forever courses. Check out rideforever.co.nz for more information.

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