Motorcyclists in Swansea are being urged to enrol for a free safety course that could help reduce their chances of being involved in a traffic accident.
Swansea Council’s Road Safety Team wants local riders to enrol onto Dragon Rider Cymru which is part of the government-led enhanced rider scheme.
Latest statistics show that even though motorbikes only make up around 0.2% of traffic in Wales, they were involved in around 40% of serious and fatal accidents in Wales in 2014.
The call for bikers to get involved also follows a recent fatal accident involving a motorcyclist near Maesteg in February.
The statistics also highlight that Swansea and Powys (18%) account for the highest number of collisions in Wales, followed by Cardiff which has 8%.
The latest free Dragon Rider Cymru course is taking place on March 20 in Swansea and will be led by an experienced motorcycle instructor who will work with licenced to motorbike users and help improve their riding skills.
David Hopkins, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transportation, said: “The statistics speak for themselves and it’s something we want to try and lower.
“Now that we are approaching Spring and Summer, the weather will likely increase the number of motorbike riders on our roads, especially during the weekends.
“We are offering a free one-day course for riders that we hope will provide additional skills and knowledge that can help keep them safe on our roads.”
In 2014, there were 28 motorcyclist fatalities on Welsh roads and 254 seriously injured motorcyclist casualties.
To find out more about the course and enrol free, email road.safety@swansea.gov.uk
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