POLICE are working to cut the toll of deaths and injuries among teenage motorcyclists on Oxfordshire’s roads.

Young motorcyclists are being told how to get proper motorbike training and about wearing the right protective gear.

Officers running Operation Pit Stop are stressing the need to dress sensibly when riding a motorbike, as warmer weather arrives.

In the past five years, 352 bikers aged 16 to 20 were involved in accidents in Oxfordshire. Seventy-four were seriously injured and three killed.

Pc Stephen Jenkins said: “We are not out to prosecute young motorcyclists. Operation Pit Stop is all about educating young riders about the dangers they face.

“We just want them to get proper training and wear decent quality protective equipment so they don’t become another statistic.

“We have been giving them advice on general mechanical maintenance, the clothing they should wear, and letting them know how to be safe and to be seen.

“My main concern is the clothing people wear. When the summer comes you tend to find young people dressing down.

“But the correct clothing could save somebody from serious disfigurement or long term injuries.”

Police and county council officials gave out advice and safety packs and carried out free safety checks on motorcycles at Abingdon and Witney College’s Abingdon campus on Wednesday, targeting the college’s 20 pupils who ride motorcycles.

Safer Roads Information Officer Liam Hillis said: “We had a guy come in shorts, a T-shirt and no gloves. He was wearing a helmet but that is a legal requirement.

“Nearly half the people that came in today have been dressed similarly.”

However, he said that the students were taking the advice seriously and sensibly.

He added: “They have all been very receptive.”

Young rider Ashley Walker, 17, said: “Riding a motorbike is not simple, it can be dangerous.

“I think it is a good idea to let people know and understand road safety, and everything that is involved with riding.”

Friend Jamielee Burgoyne, 17, said he thought the event was a good idea and he found the advice helpful.

He said: “They showed me how to check my brakes, which was useful.”

He said his father had taught him a lot about his scooter and he felt safe riding.

Student Liam Tuchscherer, 19, added: “They went through safety checks, making sure I keep safe on the roads. They reinforced what I already know and what I already do.”