OFFICERS from Dorset Police were the special guests at Poole Bike Night this week.

For the first time, biker representatives from the South Western Ambulance Service, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, Dorset Police and Dr Ian Mew - Doc Bike - himself hit Poole Quay together.

The event on Tuesday, August 30, was in support of the force’s ongoing preventative operation to reduce motorcycle casualties across the county known as Operation Wheels.

During the evening, Dr Ian Mew, Dorset Police’s medical advisor, was presented with a certificate for being the first UK doctor to complete a police riding course.

This allows him to support the emergency services and ride a marked “Doctor” bike in response to motorcycle collisions.

Research in Dorset has shown that motorcyclists are the most at risk road user group, accounting for 25 per cent of those killed or seriously injured whilst covering just one per cent of road miles travelled.

In 74 per cent of cases, rider error was a contributing factor. Of those killed or seriously injured from 2010-2014, 52 per cent were aged between 40 and 59-years-old and nearly all were male.

As part of Operation Wheels, Dorset Police has created a BikeSafe rider handout that will be given to all riders that come into contact with an officer.

As well as signposting bikers to additional training, it contains advice including how to plan better road positioning, make yourself more visible, anticipate the dangers and how to respond if you find a biker down.

And officers from the Alliance Road Policing team are patrolling ‘red routes’ that have statistically seen the most collisions, encouraging riders and drivers to work together to keep our roads safe.

Inspector Matt Butler of the Alliance Road Policing team, said: “Having biker representatives from across the emergency services attend Poole Bike Night formed a vital part of ongoing efforts to reduce casualties.

“We know all too well how being a rider on our roads makes us vulnerable. We don’t have the protection of a car body around us so we have to rely on our own judgement.

“Unfortunately, we deal with what happens when it goes wrong on a daily basis. We hope that our collective experience has enabled us to pass on a few lifesaving tips to keep riders safe and reduce the number of calls to collisions we receive year on year.”

Doc Bike, Dr Ian Mew, said: “Whether in the air ambulance or on the DocBike, if you meet me at the roadside something has gone seriously wrong.

"Through BikeSafe, Biker Down and working with advanced rider groups, we want to inform bikers of how to keep out of trouble and how to keep someone alive until the ambulance arrives if the worst happens.”

Paramedic Adam Rathbone, of the South Western Ambulance Service, said: “In the nicest possible way, I don’t want to meet bikers on a professional basis. Enjoy riding, stay safe and get home.”