BIKERS are being urged to wear good safety gear, ride within their limits and be aware of dangers on the road over the summer.

The warning comes as motorcycle accidents remain high despite a drop in other types of vehicle crashes, according to Somerset County Council cabinet member for highways Cllr Harvey Siggs.

He said: “One of the main things to be aware of at this time of year is rain after a long spell of hot weather which makes the roads very slippery.

“If you’re aware of the dangers and have the right safety gear you can reduce the chances of having an accident and save your life.”

For the last 18 months, Somerset Road Safety have worked with local road policing units to identify areas where there are fatalities and stop motorcyclists to give them advice and invite them to training - on a recent Sunday, 30 motorcyclists stopped by police were offered that option.

Dave Robinson, from the Somerset Road Safety team, said: “Most of them were stopped because they weren’t wearing the right safety equipment or were riding unsafely.”

Over 200 bikes have attended an education evening in the last 18 months, while advice has also been given at bike events across the county and in sixth form colleges.