MOTORCYCLISTS are being urged to improve their behaviour on the road as part of a police campaign.

Hampshire Constabulary is supporting the week-long campaign, which runs until September 6, led by the National Police Chief's Council (NPCC).

Roads policing officers in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are reinforcing efforts to advise motorcyclists and other road users about reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by crashes.

The campaign has been launched because motorcycle users remain the road user group with the highest rate of crashes and casualties per mile travelled.

They make up just one per cent of total road traffic, but account for 19 per cent of all road deaths in the UK.

In the UK in 2014, 339 motorcyclists were killed on the roads, which was a 2.4 per cent increase from 2013.

There was also a clear increase in the number of motorcyclists who were seriously injured with 5,289 casualties in 2014, which was an increase of 8.7 per cent from 2013.

In Hampshire and the Isle of Wight last year, nine motorcyclists were killed and 264 seriously injured.

Sergeant Rob Heard from Hampshire Constabulary's Roads Policing Unit (RPU) said: "Our research continues to identify three high risk groups of motorcyclists: leisure riders, commuters and young scooter riders.

"This campaign week is another opportunity to focus everyone's attention on being considerate and looking out for each other on two wheels and four, particularly at junctions where there is increased potential for collisions due to poor visibility and a lack of vigilance.

"Further research has shown that commuter riders are injured between 4pm and 7pm, Mondays to Fridays, because they are not seen by cars pulling out from junctions or because those riders are not behaving responsibly.

"We're reminding younger riders to ensure they realise the limits of their experience, and we would encourage all riders of any age to think about further education to enhance their standards."

Two videos recorded from a police motorcyclists perspective have been released by the Joint Operations Unit (JOU) that serves the Hampshire and Thames Valley region.

The films, which can be watched below, shows an advanced police motorcyclist trainer from the JOU on a police bike.

The rider can be heard talking through what he is observing, considering and doing as part of his journey on the road, with the camera placed in different places around him so that the film comes from his viewpoint.

For more information about bike safety courses visit bikesafe.co.uk.