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The number of motorcycle and scooter fatalities in London rose to 36 last year, up from 27 in 2014, according to Transport for London (TfL).

There were 514 serious injuries to motorcycle and scooter riders in the twelve months ending September 2015, compared with 507 the previous year.

TfL’s Operation Winchester initiative is designed to increase the presence of officers at motorcycle accident hotspots in a bid to make every motorcyclist feel safe in London. It confirms that police have stopped 5,389 riders in two focus periods, from September to November 2015 and January 2016.

In the same periods:

742 Traffic Offence Reports have been filed

1,335 verbal warnings have been issued

10 arrests made along with the seizure of 96 motorcycles

TfL states that the main cause of fatal collisions is “travelling too fast for the conditions”. However, areas such as road designs and driver awareness are also crucial to improving safety for motorcyclists in the capital.

READ MORE: Motorcyclists and the media: addressing the imbalance in road accident reports

TfL is also driving initiatives aimed at helping engineers design safer roads and junctions, as well as increased numbers of training programmes for riders.

Graeme Hay, BMF’s Government Relations Officer, said: “The BMF warmly welcomes the work that is being done by TfL to address the increase in the number of lives lost by those who use motorcycles and scooters to get around the city. The development of the Urban Motorcycle Design Handbook and the training programme for TfL and Borough engineers which supports its introduction will change the way in which improvement schemes are designed and ways in which London's roads are maintained.

“Motorcycle and scooter safety in any congested city is always a challenge but it is clear that TfL, the Metropolitan Police and the Motorcycle Industry Association are committed to meeting this challenge. The BMF are delighted to have been involved in the development of these important initiatives, which we support fully.”

To see Graeme’s report into what can be done to reduce motorcycle deaths in London, written towards the end of 2015, click here.

To view TfL’s Urban Motorcycle Design Handbook click here.

(Main image credit: Midlands Express and Star)