Police are urging motorbike riders to slow down and drive safely, following a spate of fatal and serious injury crashes this year.

So far in 2021, there has sadly been five fatal crashes in the Counties Manukau District area alone, three of which involved motorbikes.

There have also been a number of crashes where motorbike riders have been seriously injured.

In Tauranga, police continue to investigate a fatal motorbike crash that happned in Mount Maunganui on February 21.

The crash, involving a car and a motorcycle, occurred at the intersection of Exeter Street and Eversham Road at 2.15pm.

Senior Sergeant Jonathon Chappell says many of the motorbike crashes attended by the serious crash units throughout the country could have been avoided.

'We are asking all road users, whether in vehicles or on motorbikes, to take stock of these sombre statistics,” he says.

'One death on our roads is one too many, and yet we are seeing people continuing to put themselves and others at risk through their driving and riding behaviours on our roads.”

Jonathon is urging motorists, including motorbike riders, to ensure they are fully concentrating while driving or riding, are prepared for the unexpected, and are obeying all road rules and ensuring they stick to the speed limit.

'We want all road users to stop and think and ensure they are doing everything in their powers to make sure they are keeping themselves and others safe on the roads.”