Rusty motorcyclists could have caused a 50 percent spike in accidents last weekend, according to car insurance provider Norwich Union's research.
The past May Bank Holiday weekend is likely to have seen the highest numbers of motorcycle accidents in the whole of the year, a study has shown.
Norwich Union, a major bike and car insurance provider, said that there tends to be a 50 percent rise in accidents over the three-day holiday, compared with the surrounding days.
The primary reason given by the insurance firm for the high numbers is due to the weekend generally being the first time in the year motorcycle owners take their vehicles out for a spin - after leaving them in the garage over the colder, wetter winter months. This could mean that the cyclists are "rusty" when on the road, leaving them more vulnerable to crashing.
This also suggests that the unusually warm and sunny weather experienced over the country could have encouraged still higher numbers of motorcyclists to take their bikes out - which could in turn have caused even more accidents.
Nigel Bartram, senior motor underwriting manager, Norwich Union, commented: "We are urging motorcyclists to be more careful, but equally want to make drivers more aware of the increase in motorbikes that will be filling the roads.
"Checking for blindspots, being aware of bikes overtaking or undertaking and being extra careful when opening doors and pulling out are just some of the simple steps that drivers can take."
There are around 1.2 million motorcyclists in the UK, compared to over 30 million drivers.
