Brave mother encourages young riders to be safe

A brave mother is sharing the story of her son, who was tragically killed in a motorcycle collision, in a bid to stop any other families going through what they have.

On 21 July 2021, Harry Abbey, 19, was travelling to work when he was involved in a collision with a combine harvester.

He was sadly pronounced dead at the scene, and now – just over two years on – Harry’s mother, Bev, is teaming up with Cheshire Police to encourage young riders to ride safely.

Bev has given Harry’s bike to the Constabulary to be used by the roads education team who will take the bike – which has been secured to a trailer – to schools and colleges across the county.

Bev and Harry’s three siblings, Amy, Lucy, and Tom have also bravely opened up on the impact losing Harry has had on them to show to young people that their lives matter to those they leave behind – and encourage them to take road safety seriously.

PC Darren Daniels, Road Safety Education Officer for Cheshire Constabulary, said: “I attend schools and colleges across the county all the time educating and encouraging young people on how to stay safe while driving their cars or riding their bikes – yet serious and fatal collisions still happen.

“We want young people to understand that they are not invincible, and their life matters. It matters to those who are left behind dealing with the consequences and I hope that by Bev bravely sharing Harry’s story – and using his bike as an educational tool – we can make a real difference and help to reduce the number of young people who are needlessly killed on the county’s roads.”

Bev Abbey, Harry’s mother, said: “Losing Harry has been one of the most traumatic experiences of mine and my family’s life. That pain, it doesn’t go away, it will be there all the time – you just make more room for it and learn to live alongside it.

“I want young people to know that they have a responsibility for not only their own lives, but a responsibility to come home – back to the people that love them.”

John Dwyer, Police and Crime Commissioner, said: “It was really important for me to provide funding to help promote road safety amongst young people, often as their inexperience on our roads can lead to collisions and fatalities. We know that the 17 – 25 age bracket sadly make up a large proportion of incidents on our roads.

“Making Cheshire’s roads safer is a key priority in my Police and Crime Plan, and this bike is one way in which we can educate people about the importance of sharing the road.

“I want to thank Bev for making the brave decision to let Cheshire Constabulary share their story. Harry’s life mattered, and his family’s support for this campaign will help to prevent more young people being killed on our roads.”