Police have issued a stern safety warning for motorcyclists tempted to speed up as the ACT's road quieten down over summer.
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Acting Superintendent Matt Craft pleaded with riders to slow down and drive to the conditions after police clocked two black motorbikes as they travelled more than 200km/hr south along the Majura Parkway on Sunday.
He said the outcome of a crash – which could easily have been caused by a simple error of judgement, debris on the road or an animal – at such high speeds would have been "catastrophic".
Both drivers, one aged in his 20s and the other in his 40s, were NSW residents and travelling one behind the other in a 100km/hr zone, police said.
Police stopped the men and they were summonsed to appear in court at a later date on speeding charges.
Acting Superintendent Craft said police were "surprised and disappointed" to clock the pair riding so fast and described their behaviour as "dangerous and totally irresponsible".
He said the two motorbike riders had put lives at risk unnecessarily.
"I'm glad our officers were able to detect these dangerous riders and take them off our roads," he said.
Acting Superintendent Craft said the fact the ACT's roads were often a bit quieter during the summer holidays was no excuse for motorcyclists to speed up.
"There's a strong policing presence out there from ACT Policing and NSW Police will continue to enforce double demerit points over the weekend and through the week to try and reduce the trauma on the roads."
Motorcycle Riders Association of the ACT president Jen Woods said motorbike riders and drivers needed to be aware of each other and observe road rules around Canberra, especially during the holiday period.
"Bikes are more efficient and certainly there are large capacity machines out there, but the majority of riders are riding their bikes according to the road rules. You obviously get people in all vehicles who don't."
"Because it's a time of relaxation and time off from work, riders obviously take the opportunity to get out there and enjoy the scenery of Canberra.
"We always encourage road users to look out for bikes and for riders to to look out for people who are distracted, especially drivers who are single-mindedly driving to the coast and might be distracted by children."
She advised inexperienced riders who bought or were gifted a new motorbike during the holidays to avoid riding it if they had not completed a proper motorcycle course.
Ms Woods also said riders should always wear full protective gear, even throughout summer's warmer temperatures.
The speeding incident also prompted a broader police warning for motorists to slow down and focus on driving after a horror week on the ACT region's roads.
An elderly woman died on Christmas Day after a medical episode caused her to crash into a car carrying a young family in Canberra's south.
Earlier in the week, a man was thrown from his vehicle after crashing down an embankment in the city's north.
A man died after his car crashed into a tree in Cook on Monday.
"The message is for drivers on the road to slow down, take care, don't be distracted, don't use your mobile phones when you're driving," Acting Superintendent Craft said.
"Also too take a little bit of extra time when you're driving, particularly motorists who are travelling down to the coast slow down a bit, leave a bit earlier and take your time."
Double demerits are in place for traffic offences until midnight on Sunday, January 3.
Police will target drink and drug driving, speeding, fatigue, distraction and not wearing seatbelts, which they say are the main factors which contribute to road crashes.
