A TOP police motorcycle instructor has released safety tips to fellow bikers in a bid to promote safe riding in Dorset.

PC Chris Smith advises motorists to “treat everyone as a danger”.

His safety suggestions come just days after the death of another rider on the county’s roads.

Nick Barry, 45, from Boscombe, lost his life on Sunday when his Kawasaki 1,000cc motorcycle was in collision with a car on Ashley Road in Parkstone.

Despite efforts by police, members of the public and paramedics to revive him, Mr Barry died at the scene.

On March 20, father-of-two David Bartholomew, 54, of Bere Regis, was involved in a fatal collision with a car while riding his Honda CBF 1,000cc motorcycle on the A31.

And the following day internationally-renowned surgeon and father-of-three Nick Boeree, 53, of Lymington, died when his 1,300cc Yamaha FJR motorcycle was in a head-on collision with a lorry in the New Forest. The circumstances of all three collisions are being investigated by Dorset Police and full inquests will be held in the future.

PC Smith runs the BikeSafe initiative in Dorset and is one of Dorset Police’s motorcycle instructors. He says safe riding is always high on his priorities.

He said: “Now that the good weather is here we are seeing a rise in bike-related collisions. While often these are not the biker’s fault, they could have been avoided had riders exercised some advanced riding skills, kept their observations up and managed their road space to maximise safety. “Just because a biker has the best kit and the best bike it does not follow that they are the best rider they could be.”

HOW TO STAY SAFE ON A BIKE

PC Chris Smith’s top tips to stay safe on a bike are:

• Treat everyone as a danger. Perception of bikers can be very poor and often another road user may look but not see you. A good guide is to look at the front wheels and only when they are not moving is the vehicle actually stopped and aware of your presence.

• Never overtake near to or by a junction as traffic waiting to emerge can be masked.

• Hatch markings are there for a reason and not a biker’s convenience.

• The more the paint, the more the danger.

• Don’t rely on the very best leathers and safety kit to save you if you do come off your bike.

• It is more important to improve your skills and learn how to be a better rider.

•To sign up for a BikeSafe course you should visit: bikesafe.co.uk