Motorcycle casualties fell 4% in 2009 despite a 2% rise in bike traffic.
Government figures released today show the number of both fatal and serious motorcycle casualties was 4% lower than the year before.
Fatalities fell from 493 to 472 while serious injuries went from 5556 to 5350. All motorcycle casualties also fell 4%, to 20,703.
Meanwhile deaths of all road users fell 12%. Car users saw a 16% drop and cyclists 10%.
news is good,but we still have educate car drivers,i still during a weeks work have to do emergency stops because drivers dont look where they are going,and i am in a car!!!!!!!!!!hope drobs is on the mend and will be biking soon.
invalid characters In: West Sussex
Posts: 647
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Think I'd be inclined to go a bit further than White' and say it's ALL road users. Sure there's things specific to bikes that should-be addressed IMO. Just one of them is the tendency to blame cars etc. We know it's likely to happen at anytime so why not ride with that in-mind?
Don't see sitting in your hospital bed and saying "it wasn't my fault", is of any use at-all.
5 years after my accident (m/c racing) the DVLA reinstated my licences, for-me it was like starting again, so thinking it was better to crash their car rather than mine, I booked a couple of sessions in a driving school car. One thing that quickly became apparent was the amount of "vision" I had. Can you teach that? I don't think so! It comes from a/ Experience and most importantly b/ Self assessment. (However good you think you are, there's always more to learn)
On point b, even though given medical reports, the DVLA say I'm OK for bikes again, I don't think I am, I still have my street-bike, but just use, for the moment, the car and will only get back on the bike when I THINK I can deal with situations that might arise.
See now everyone blames car drivers not seeing ...... and true there are some bad uns out there .....
However when i did my bie lessons they taught us to look for hazzards cars,buses trucs pedestians animals crossings side roads etc..... Bu the one they didn't teach was the idiot biker who in traffic takes his eyes off the road to look behind for his mate !!!!!
When he turned round again traffic was slowing and stopping and I was in his way !!!!!!
Don't see sitting in your hospital bed and saying "it wasn't my fault", is of any use at-all.............................
letthegoodtimesrol.............I sat in a hospital bed for 9 days blaming the driver who hit me, i agree it aint of much use but in my case it happens to be true. I was going straight ahead over the junction, it was my right of way and a car driver turned right and took me with them. In the couple of seconds i had to see them it was too late to do anything as they had smashed into me by then. Every time i went out on my bike I knew this could happen to me and its a risk I was prepared to take, i could of had an accident in my car or walking down me road just the same. I have great anger at the driver of the car for not seeing me and am struggling to come to terms with the fact of "how the hell didnt they see me" but thats something only I can deal with. I shall be contacting the police as I want to know as to what conciquensis the driver is going to have for hitting me. personally I hope they have further awarenesss training so they dont go out and do the same thing to some1 else.
I have a badly broken leg that after having 2 operations on it is going to take a long time to heal, still feel lucky to come out with such few injuries, it coulf of been so much worse. my gardian angel was with me once again.
invalid characters In: West Sussex
Posts: 647
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We can all get caught out drobess that's a fact it happens, although awareness training will bring undoubted benefits we're still relying on other peoples actions and therefore it, in general, is nothing compared to being aware of our own strengths and weaknesses.
It will always be possible to pick specific incidents and apportion blame, but let's look at ourselves as-well is all I'm saying.
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