TV racing star Steve Parrish backs Shropshire motorbike safety bid

The West Mercia Police-backed campaign aims to highlight the dangers associated with riding in order to reduce the number of serious accidents.

Constable Mick Sturland, of West Mercia Police's safer neighbourhood team for Market Drayton, said speeding and anti-social riding are evident in the north of the county.

"I approached Steve to see if he would lend his support and he agreed to do so," he said.

"We will be handing out leaflets to bikers at the weekly Raven Cafe meets near Whitchurch on Sundays and Thursdays.

"On one date in April and May and two dates in June, July and August we'll be visiting the Raven Cafe with partners from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and RoSPA.

"Our aim will be to engage with bikers and highlight the dangers associated with riding and what riders can do to increase their skills on the road and thus reduce the chances of becoming a collision statistic.

"The IAM and RoSPA both offer advanced riding training and we hope to get some riders on to some form of training. Steve's support will hopefully endorse the benefits of rider training."

Constable Sturland added: "Problems associated with motorcycles, such as speeding and anti-social riding as well as instances of collisions, are evident in north Shropshire as well as surrounding police forces of North Wales, Cheshire and Staffordshire, and so we will be working with these forces who will periodically join us in our engagement activity and will also carry out their own enforcement campaigns.

"This joint approach will hopefully demonstrate a unified willingness to address the imbalance of biker casualties compared to percentage of road users and also tackle attitudes and behaviours to not only bikers, but all road users."

Parrish, who had a successful race career in the 1970s and 80s, said: "Having ridden and raced motorcycles for the past 46 years, I still believe we can all learn something new to keep us safe and help prevent us from becoming another statistic. By taking on some advanced training people will be able to gain valuable experience and information to avoid situations that are often caused by other motorists and potentially could help save their life and possible injury."

It comes as Freddy Lindup, 27, from Oswestry. backed a national campaign to make drivers more aware of motorcyclists. Mr Lindup was just 23 when he was making his daily journey – on his beloved white 125cc motorbike – from home in St Martins, near Oswestry, to work in a factory just three miles away in June 2012.

But he never reached the Cadbury's factory in Chirk. A 4x4 vehicle pulled out of the Rhyn Lane junction into his path. The bike and Mr Lindup hit the wing of the vehicle and he was thrown over the top of the vehicle and onto the road.

Now Mr Lindup is backing a campaign by the Minster Law firm – which represented him in his case against the motorist – to make drivers more aware of bikes.