BIKERS are being urged to take care on South Somerset’s roads at one of the busiest times of the year.

After a month of good weather, fatalities involving motorcycles in Somerset have increased compared to previous years with seven collisions across the county so far in 2014.

The figure is the same as last year when the county experienced similar good weather, but much higher than previous years when nine fatal collisions occurred in the whole of 2011 and 2012.

Terry Beale, service manager at Somerset Road Safety, said: “The main cause of accidents is loss of control on bends as a result of travelling too fast.

“We’re approaching the main summer period, and if the weather settles to a long dry spell more motorcyclists will take to the roads.”

Most fatalities this year have been in the 35-60 age group, involving powerful bikes of 500cc or more.