Grieving Yorkshire mum backs bid to stop bike deaths

A WAKEFIELD mum whose son died after a horrific head-on crash with another biker has backed a new campaign which aims to reduce the number of people on two wheels killed or seriously injured on our roads.
PAIN: Lewis Clark was just 22 years old when he was killed.PAIN: Lewis Clark was just 22 years old when he was killed.
PAIN: Lewis Clark was just 22 years old when he was killed.

Lewis Clark was just 22 when he died in the crash on the Isle of Man in 2015.

The other rider, a German motorcyclist, had strayed onto the opposite side of the road while overtaking when the bikes collided.

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Mr Clark, who worked as a chef at Oulton Hall hotel and lived in South Elmsall, was on the island for the Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling.

His mother Beverley Clark has backed road safety charity Brake’s new ‘Bike Smart’ campaign saying she owed it to her son’s memory “to protect motorbike riders”.

Last year, 899 cyclists and motorcyclists were killed or seriously injured on Yorkshire’s roads - an average of 17 every week.

Ms Clark said: “The pain of losing my son Lewis in a bike crash will never go away but we must learn from his death to prevent future tragedies taking place. The safety of motorcyclists can be improved by drivers being more aware of bikes and our roads having safer speeds with more bike-friendly design.”

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Today marks the start of Road Safety Week. Brake is calling for drivers to be ‘Bike Smart’ by slowing down, taking care to look properly at junctions and doing the ‘Dutch reach’ - looking out for cyclists behind you while opening your car door. Cyclists and motorcyclists account for nearly four in 10 of all deaths and serious injuries on British roads, a total of 9,740 in 2017.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns at Brake, said: “Every week, 17 cyclists and motorcyclists are killed or seriously injured on a road in Yorkshire and the Humber – each a tragedy that will devastate innumerable lives. Raising awareness about the safety of those on two wheels, who face much higher risk of death and serious injury than those in cars, is absolutely vital.”