A young motorcyclist’s offences were taken ‘very seriously’ by magistrates who banned him from driving for 12 months yesterday.
Luke Weeks, 19, of Phoenix Place in Dartford was snapped 19 times by the safety camera on Birchwood Road in Dartford between 27 May and 17 August this year.
Weeks was recorded riding two models of motorcycle, a Honda CB 250 and a Suzuki SV 650 SY, at speeds between 37mph and 60mph in the 30mph speed limit.
In addition to excessive and dangerous speeds, the camera recorded him with no hands on the handlebar and making offensive gestures, and with a pillion passenger.
Aware that the Truvelo camera is front-facing so could not pick up his rear number plate, Weeks continued to ride inappropriately through the site over the twelve week period. However, after photos continued to arrive at the processing unit, local officers were able to identify the offender and visited him at his home address.
Weeks pleaded guilty to 19 counts of speeding and three counts of careless driving at Chatham Magistrates' Court on Wednesday 30 October. He admitted that he had not thought at the time about the safety of others, including his pillion passenger. Weeks was fined £10 for each of the speeding offences, with £125 court charge and £25 victim surcharge. The court viewed the case very seriously but this was not reflected in the fines due to Weeks’ low means. He was also disqualified for 12 months and will have to take an extended driving test.
Katherine Meehan of the Kent & Medway Safety Camera Partnership said: “The safety camera on Birchwood Road is there to reduce the number of crashes and casualties within the signed area, and is regularly visited by a safety camera van to further try to reduce speeding along this stretch of road.
“Mr Weeks posed a serious threat to himself, his passenger and other road users. Fortunately a collision did not occur on these occasions.
“Thankfully the majority of young riders do not display this behaviour, however in the last three years in our county there were 546 collisions involving 16 to 19 year olds on motorcycles (not necessarily at fault). The main causation factors were driver / rider error, reaction times, and inexperience. Road safety partners in the county are working with young people to encourage safe riding behaviour.”
- Road safety partners in the county are working to raise awareness of the importance of riding safely with the following campaigns:
www.kentroadsafety.info/ghostlids
www.kentbikers.co.uk
www.kent.fire-uk.org/your_safety/road_safety/motorbike_safety.aspx
www.medway.gov.uk/transportandstreets/roadshighwaysandpavements/roadsafety/saferjourneysteam/mopeddriving.aspx
