With the nice weather, the Institute of Advanced Motorists has urged drivers and bike riders to take particular care on country roads this bank holiday weekend.
Crashes on rural roads tend to be more serious, even in modern cars, and unfamiliar country roads hold many hidden risks.
The lush grass at this time of year makes it particularly difficult to see round bends, so take corners with extra care. There is bound to be lots of wildlife tearing about, so be prepared.
Summer is a peak time for rural road deaths and serious injuries, and many rural road deaths and serious injuries occur on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, most occurring when the weather is fine and the roads are dry.
Fair weather biking means that the number of motorcycle crashes also tends to go up in the summer months, with more than three quarters of motorcycle deaths and injuries happening on dry roads in fine weather.
Weekend riders should be aware that twice as many bikers die on rural roads than on urban roads. There also tends to be more serious or fatal biker casualties at the weekend.
From information coming my way over the first five months of this year in many parts of the country, there is a growing opinion out there that unfortunately more people are drinking and driving than in the previous couple of years. The reasoning for this is that there is a belief that enforcement by way of random check points where mandatory breath tests are amde are not as visible. This is especially noticeable at weekends, where most young drivers are killed in the early hours.
Please don't drink alcohol or take any non prescription drugs before driving or riding a bike and do not travel with anyone that does. And where possible try to prevent any of your friends from doing so.
If we all share the road safely this bank holiday weekend, we can make sure everyone, on four wheels or two, gets the same enjoyment out of our unique countryside, and also gets home safely.
