A driver has been banned from the roads after admitting causing serious injury to a motorcyclist in a collision near Spittleborough Roundabout.
Paul Greenall, 45, of Benjamin Way, Healdsburg, California, appeared before Swindon Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (14 July), where he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless driving and driving without insurance.
He was disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £18,000 in compensation to the injured rider.
The collision happened at around 3.35pm on a Sunday when Greenall, who was driving a Volvo V40, pulled out from a side road onto the A3102 into the path of an oncoming Kawasaki motorcycle.
The rider, a man in his 20s, suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.
Following an investigation by Wiltshire Police’s Roads Policing Unit, Greenall was arrested and charged with the offences.
The case has prompted officers to renew calls for motorists to remain vigilant for motorcycles, particularly during the summer when more riders are using the roads.
PC Paul Davis, from the Roads Policing Unit, said: “This was a needless collision in which a moment’s careless driving at a junction has left a motorcyclist with serious, potentially life-changing injuries.
“We have had a number of recent serious collisions involving motorcycles and I want to remind drivers of the importance of being aware of motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users, particularly during the summer months.
“Before pulling out of junctions, turning, changing lanes or opening vehicle doors, drivers should consciously ‘Think Bike’ and check carefully for motorcycles that are harder to spot than larger vehicles.
“I would also encourage motorcyclists to take extra care on the roads, particularly by approaching bends, corners and junctions at safe speeds, as the consequences of not doing so, as we see all too regularly, can be fatal.”
Wiltshire Police is urging all road users to remain alert and considerate as part of its ongoing Think Bike campaign, reminding motorists that taking a second look at junctions could help prevent serious or even fatal collisions.
