Senior Sergeant Ian Campion, head of Western Bay of Plenty road policing, said road safety was everyone's responsibility.
Other motorists needed to take extreme care around motorcyclists and cyclists to ensure they did not put them at risk
"I also really can't stress enough that motorcyclists and scooter riders need to ride defensively as they will always come off second best against other vehicles," he said.
Mr Campion said riders should also use appropriate safety gear and clothing and ride with their headlights on at all times.
"It makes me groan when I see people riding in shorts, a T-shirt and jandals," he said.
The latest ACC data revealed there were 359 fatal and serious injury claims from motorcycle crashes in the wider Bay of Plenty region between 2012 and 2016.
ACC motorcycle-related claims in this region cost $6.9m a year, and on average each claimant was off work for five months, compared to the national average of six months.
Chris Welch, the owner of Western Bay Driving School, a defensive driving facilitator and motorcycle instructor, has spent two decades advocating road safety.
Learning to ride from a fully qualified experienced instructor and knowing how to ride and drive defensively were key to reducing the road toll and serious injury crashes, she said.
"People on motorbikes are there to be seen if other motorists are paying attention. I'm sick of people blaming the state of the roads for crashes and fatalities, she said.
Bayride Motorcycles co-owner Catherine Fleming, who works closely with Ms Welch to promote road safety, agreed.
"I'm a new rider myself and I wonder if every person needs to do a defensive driving course. People need to slow down and focus solely on what they 're doing, as a moment's inattention can have dire consequences for both parties, she said.
Number of fatal and serious crashes involving motorcycles:
Western Bay of Plenty District
Fatal Serious Injury
2012: 1 8
2013: 0 7
2014: 2 5
2015: 1 9
2016: 0 1
2017: 2* 1
*2017 data is provisional
Source: NZ Transport Agency and NZ Police
