The figures are from the 1st January to the 30th September and show that this year there was a total of 106 motorcycle accidents involving injuries
Sadly two (2) of these accidents were fatalities, 43 were classified as ‘serious’ and 61 as ‘slight’ injury
The result we would like to achieve and will keep working towards is zero casualties – a dream perhaps…….. however, over the years the work of the BikeWise ‘team’ together with our own BikeWise Training, Durham Advanced Motorcyclists and local Rospa group – have helped to reduce these figures.
We are, as motorcyclists, in a vulnerable ‘user’ group and have to be mindful of the fact that motorcyclists make up 1% of road users – so, when you’re out there riding/driving – 99% of the time you are going to see larger vehicles – cars, buses, lorries etc. Is it any wonder that other drivers don’t see us ? – they’re not expecting to see a ‘small’ two wheeled vehicle.
A lot of two wheeled collisions occur, at or near a junction and involve another vehicle.
If you are approaching a junction at 30mph – you will be travelling at 44ft per second (that’s the length of an large lorry), at 60mph that’s 88ft per second..
Imagine driving your car up to a junction and think, how many seconds it will take most drivers to check, before they pull out from the junction, onto the road – how far away from the junction could you, as motorcyclist be in them few seconds ??? We more than likely wont be in view…
Jimmy Hill presented the Look Once, Look Twice, Think Bike advert of the 70’s ( http://youtu.be/cBijwacN_qA ) and last year we had the How Close - THINK advert ( http://youtu.be/SXI8-_9FrB4 ). Forty years after the initial advert we are still ‘preaching’ the same message to car drivers – they are still not seeing motorcyclists. Headlights, High Vis clothing etc do they help?? Cars are now designed to be safer with large roof pillars which create ‘blindspots’ for a driver.
The next time you approach a junction think about how quickly you are approaching (even at 30mph), no driver wants to be involved in a ‘crash’, give them a chance by ANTICIPATING their actions and create yourself some SPACE and TIME.
Remember we ALL ‘share’ the roads
Ride Safely and let’s try to make Durham an even safer place for motorcyclists to ride….