MOTORISTS are being reminded to drive carefully after a serious collision on the A338 Bournemouth Spur Road left the route closed for several hours.

Emergency services were called to the stretch of road, which is currently a contraflow due to the ongoing £22million rebuild, between Blackwater and Ashley Heath at 3.40pm on Saturday.

The crash, involving a Ford Fiesta and a motorcycle, left the 55-year-old man riding the bike with a fractured pelvis.

A road closure was put in place to allow the Dorset and Somerset Ambulance to land nearby, which then airlifted him to Southampton General Hospital for treatment.

Chief Inspector Jim Beashel, of Dorset Police, said: “The road was closed in both directions to allow emergency services to treat the injured male and recover the damaged vehicles.

“As a result of this incident a significant amount of traffic built up in both directions.”

He added that officers worked closely with those managing the roadworks to help alleviate the traffic.

However, tailbacks in the area quickly formed with traffic on Matchams Lane, Parley Lane, the A347 New Road, the A348 through Ferndown and the A31 particularly slow as motorists were diverted.

Following the road closure, which was lifted at around 5.30pm, Dorset County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, Cllr Peter Finney, said he wanted to reiterate the safety message to drivers using the route.

“Drivers need to keep their distance, stay alert and not break the speed limit,” he said.

He said he believes the speed precautions already taken in the area have helped keep the number of collisions down, adding: “We know if we had kept the speed limit as it was then there would have been more accidents.”

Motorists have also been reminded by Dorset County Council that they now face fines if they break the limit.

As of last Friday fines are being processed by Dorset Police following testing of the cameras.

Police thanked motorists for their patience on Saturday and asked for any witnesses to the collision to contact PC 2464 Tatton at the traffic department on 101.