KEY POINTS:
Motorcyclists visiting the Coromandel and Hauraki districts need to keep their eyes on the road and off the views to avoid accidents, police say.
Over the past three years, half of the country's ACC injury claims involving motorcycles originated from the Thames-Coromandel and Hauraki District Council areas, Eastern Waikato police area commander Inspector Glenn Dunbier said.
A study of the crashes showed that while some local residents were involved, by and large most injury claimants came from Auckland, the Waikato or Bay of Plenty.
"Across the country more people are returning to riding motorcycles both as a more economical form of transport or as a lifestyle change," said Mr Dunbier.
"Anecdotally we know most of the crashes involved daytrippers and people on bike runs visiting the Thames-Coromandel and Hauraki Districts."
Falling off a bike on a country road, a rider may slide on to the grass verge and be relatively unscathed, he said.
"But on Coromandel roads we have trees, bridges, dirt banks and seawalls which means our crashes usually result in serious injury or death."
Eastern Waikato police would be working with partner agencies such as local governments, roading engineers and road safety educators to highlight the issue, Mr Dunbier said.
"For a police officer fatal crashes are one of the worst jobs to go to.
"Not only is there the trauma at the scene, but shocked witnesses to interview and grieving family to inform.
"This campaign is all about avoiding that and reducing our road trauma."
- NZPA
