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Inquest into motorbike death opens
Bikers who use quiet back lanes to whiz around the Scottish countryside are being warned they are the target of a new crackdown by police.
Officers in the Lothian and Borders area of Scotland will begin new patrols, which will aim to curb the speeding instincts of dangerous riders who are touring the roads in the region.
Even those with adequate motorbike insurance for the high-powered bikes being driven are ignoring the law and racing each other in stunts which have resulted in a series of fatal crashes.
Since April 2001 figures show there have been more than 1,200 crashes - 29 of which left someone dead.
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A further 315 resulted in serious injury, with the police keen to use the high-profile patrols as a means of preventing so many accidents.
The campaign began this week and will run until October, with the police adopting a mixture of education and enforcement in their approach to riders.
The police will also be encouraging bikers to ride safely and to ensure they comply with the law- meaning up to date tax and relevant bike insurance.
Lothian and Borders Road Policing Unit's Inspector Colin Shillito said it would be a mistake for riders "to think that rural roads are any less dangerous than city roads, and that it's acceptable to ride motorcycles or drive full throttle along them".
"The majority of road crashes involving bikes happens on these rural roads, which are often very windy, bumpy and have many blind bends. Also, many people are still relatively new to riding a motorcycle, and perhaps don't realise how easy it is to get into difficulty."
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