Spike in dangerous riding of unregistered trail bikes at Charlestown, West Wallsend, Cessnock, Cameron Park, Windale, Barnsley

Hunter Highway Patrol Inspector Mick Buko said he was "flabbergastered" at the spike in cases of dangerous riding in recent weeks, mainly from teenagers and people in their early 20s - often on unregistered trail bikes and without helmets.

Some, he said, have been as young as 12 years old and many have been brazen, even in front of police.

"Every day we are having young kids without helmets on unregistered bikes sticking their finger up at the cops, doing monos [riding only on the back wheel] and riding dangerously," Inspector Buko said.

"Some of these bikes are that un-roadworthy, they could just ride down the road and a wheel could fall off and they could die.

"I just don't understand why they're putting their lives at risk."

Inspector Buko said seven of the 14 fatal road crashes in the Newcastle-Hunter region so far in 2021 involved a motorcycle or trail bike.

Police have noticed a spike in dangerous riding at Cessnock, West Wallsend, Cameron Park, Windale, Barnsley and Charlestown.

The issue became particularly clear to Inspector Buko one day last month, when he was informed of a serious crash at Gateshead while at the scene of a fatal involving a rider at Mirrabooka.

He said the rider at Gateshead had been driving dangerously along the Pacific Highway and crashed into the back of a four-wheel-drive and "did a somersault into the [traffic] lights".

That rider suffered serious leg injuries, but survived.

Hunter police have been using the PolAir helicopter and fixed-wing plane to follow people riding dangerously but will soon also employ drone technology to track riders.

"We're going to knock on people's doors, confiscate the bikes and forfeit them to the Crown," Inspector Buko said.

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