POLICE are appealing to motorists to take extra time to check whether roads are clear before pulling out of junctions, following the death of a Droitwich motorcyclist last year.

Motorcyclists account for around a fifth of all road death victims each year, despite accounting for only one per cent of traffic.

In 2012, 328 motorcyclists died and 5,000 were seriously injured in road collisions across Great Britain.

Due to safety campaigns, numbers have fallen since 2008 when 493 motorcyclists were killed and 5,556 were seriously injured on Britain's roads.

Last year , Nigel Tillett died after a Jaguar driver turned across his path from a filter lane on the A38 Worcester Road in October.

John Churchill, 69, of Crown Lane, Wychbold, admitted causing death by careless driving and was given an 18-month driving ban, 12 month community order and 200 hours of unpaid work by Worcester magistrates on Friday, April 25.

PC Dave Ashley of West Mercia Police said: "We would like to take this opportunity to reinforce the message about taking that extra millisecond of time to observe the road before making a turn across any type of carriageway.

“Mr Tillett’s death happened as a result of a mistake by Mr Churchill.

"Both families will have to live with the tragic consequences for the rest of their lives, but we hope this case will make other drivers remember to pause and take a good look around for motorcyclists before pulling out from junctions or turning across oncoming traffic from filter lanes.”

Mental health support worker Mr Tillett, aged 46, of Burrish Street, Droitwich, was taken by ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham with multiple injuries where he died that evening.

He left a wife and one-year-old son.

For more information visit westmercia.police.uk