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Telephone: +44 (0)1452 425000
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Motorcycle RidersThink Bike, Bikes Think! - Gloucestershire looks at reducing Motorcycle Casualties Rider Safety - it's no accident !!!  64% of fatal crashes occur on rural roads "Motorcycle Casualty figures for Gloucestershire during 2007 are down. 195 motorcyclists were injured in 2007 compared to 200 in 2006 and 250 in 2005. 9 were killed in 2007 compared to 10 in 2006.  See the pdf download below which shows a plot of the Motorcycle Fatal and Serious Injury Accidents from 2005 to 2007.  A main cause of accidents is the failure to recognise hazardous situations. Many riders would like motorists to understand that they take safety very seriously, and would urge both motorists and motorcyclists to look out for each other. Riders should ensure that they make themselves as visible as possible to drivers, wearing bright coloured protective clothing, but, perhaps more importantly, drivers should always THINK bike! especially at junctions and when turning". For more Motorcycling advice see our Road Safety "Contact Us" or links and downloads below. Road Safety supports the dft Think! motorcycle safety strategy 'Tomorrow's Roads: Safer for everyone. For more information on this strategy see the dft link on the right of this page. Also, there are three dft themed messages for the urban motorcycle commuter and they are:- "Don't take it in" focuses on common scenarios when people look but don't see For our Better Biking 'Roadcraft' course information see our Motorcycle Roadcraft course related below. 'BikeSafe' South West 2008 - this event was held at the Haynes Motor Museum near Yeovill on Saturday/Sunday 12th & 13th April 2008. See the Gloucestershire police campaign link below where 'BikeSafe' information can be obtained via their Crime Reduction link on the left. Sports bike riding is on the increase. As motorcyclists take advantage of many of our rural roads to test their machines and their own capabilities - to its full potential - the risk can be far too high. Unfortunately every year most of us get a bit lazier, a bit more complacent and our skills get rustier. Too often riders don't have the skills to handle their own machines. Instinct and quick reactions on their own aren't enough - you need to THINK! It doesn't matter if you've been riding for years or if you've just come back to biking - what you need is up to date bike handling skills, inside information and a head stuffed with riding know-how. But I'm already a good rider - it's other road users who cause the problems. Does any of this sound familiar?
These are all common complaints, and its easy to blame most of them on outside influences. In fact they're mostly problems that can be solved with a different approach. For example, corners don't suddenly tighten up - if it's tighter than you thought its because you didn't Think! and pick up the clues early enough to assess what was coming. Similarly, when people pull out in front of you it's not always because they haven't seen you, but because you were going a lot faster than they expected - the average car driver has no conception whatsoever of the performance of a modern bike!! Putting the emphasis on yourself to avoid trouble rather than on others is the first step towards getting more out of your bike, and keeping it shinny side up. Improving your riding skills So you need to learn, and there are three ways to get the skills you need to control today's bikes on today's roads. 1. You can learn from your mistakes But every mistake hurts. Life's too short, and likely to get even shorter if you take this option 2. You can learn from your mates But how good are they anyway? How do you choose what's good and bad advice? 3. You could learn from an expert Someone who spends all day, every day, in the saddle, knows every trick in the book AND who knows how to pass that knowledge on to others. You might even end up with discounts on insurance.
See the links shown below. For most people the bare minimum is a refresher on road positioning, planning ahead and what to do if someone your're riding with has an accident. However, there's always plenty more to learn, and look at it this way - you may be going back to school but the homework's going to be superb!
Make you - the rider - SAFER !!!! But how much does it cost? How long is a piece of string? Why not attend one of our Motorcycle 'Roadcraft' courses, for a small and worthwhile cost of £48.00 (subject to change on 1st April 2009). See the related link shown below which gives full course information. Please note this page also has an online enquiry box. Whatever you go for, it will be the most cost-effective way of spending your money. National Motorcycle Week This event took place from Monday 14th - Sunday 20th July 2008, and it's aim was to promote motorcycling and scooter riding and the many benefits associated with it. See our links and downloads for advice and information.
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