Appeal for safe driving after 70% hike in motorcyclist deaths

There has been a 70% jump in motorcyclists dying on our roads — in most cases driving in areas they know and in good weather and driving conditions.

With the May bank holiday weekend approaching, Garda chiefs said the number of such fatalities rose from 16 in 2012 to 27 in 2013, with two motorcyclist deaths so far this year.

And after a two-day clampdown last week, gardaí detected almost 1,200 motorists driving while using a mobile phone — some six times more than is normally found.