Eleven Fatals in 15 Days
Discussion
Without going into toooo much detail here, i would say that one was down to excess speed alone.
Obviously speed was a factor in most of the deaths but the main cause was down to bad Riding/Driving.
We normally have about 80 or so deaths on 'our' roads but over the last 2 weeks every other day there seems to be a multiple one.
I know that everyone is busy at work at the moment keeping our heads above the water line because as you can imagine, there is a lot of Investigations etc etc to be carried out as a result.
Obviously speed was a factor in most of the deaths but the main cause was down to bad Riding/Driving.
We normally have about 80 or so deaths on 'our' roads but over the last 2 weeks every other day there seems to be a multiple one.
I know that everyone is busy at work at the moment keeping our heads above the water line because as you can imagine, there is a lot of Investigations etc etc to be carried out as a result.
tonyrec said:
How many drivers and how many bikers?
From memeory i believe its about 4 bikers,6 drivers and a pedestrian.
TR, a couple of bike crash questions:
1) Is biking a dangerous as the statistics make it look?
2) What's are the crucial bits of biking attire from a safety point of view? (Do I *need* a back protector?)
3) Primary safety. - Full beam, Day glo top - Discuss.
4) Any other biker safety tip?
Think I read somewhere a few years ago about November/December being a generally silly season for errors and the like. Quiet a lot of people get really stressed over Christmas and will worry about what present to buy, who's coming to dinner, the expense etc etc and as a consequence are not concentrating on what they should be doing.
I suggest the Government ban present buying at Christmas. My family agreed not to buy each other presents years ago and I actually enjoy Christmas now.
I suggest the Government ban present buying at Christmas. My family agreed not to buy each other presents years ago and I actually enjoy Christmas now.
toad_oftoadhall said:
TR, a couple of bike crash questions:
1) Is biking a dangerous as the statistics make it look?tonyrec said:
Biking is dangerous by the very fact that you are vulnerable. You can obviously increase the chances of safety by riding sensibly, not taking chances and by treating all other road users as idiots.
You cannot however, protect yourself from high speed punctures, manhole covers and the like, all of which can make you fall off.
2) What's are the crucial bits of biking attire from a safety point of view? (Do I *need* a back protector?)tonyrec said:
A good fitting Helmet,Leathers,Gloves and boots.
Everyday i see people riding in jeans,no gloves etc ....they will only do it the once!
3) Primary safety. - Full beam, Day glo top - Discuss.tonyrec said:
I always ride with my Headlight on. Some people ride with dayglo crossbands, that is personal choice but it goes without saying that the brighter you are then the more chance that a numpty will see you.
4) Any other biker safety tip?
[quote=tonyrec]
Yes, know the limitations of both yourself and of the bike you are riding.
Treat every other road user as an idiot unless they prove otherwise.
Always plan ahead and never get the red mist syndrome......you will come off worst for sure.
finally, keep your bike well maintained.
tonyrec said:
...but over the last 2 weeks every other day there seems to be a multiple one....
Unfortunately I bet the local scamera people will do what Hampshire have just done and use the unknown (in traffic stats) term "crashes".
eg. if there were 10 KSI injuries in 10 accidents one month, but 10 KSI injuries in 5 crashes the next month they would claim that "crashes have halved" despite the possibility that the accidents are more severe, possibly due to poor weather (like at the moment) or even random statistical fluctuations.
Gareth
tonyrec said:
There have been 11 Fatals in 15 Days on the area that i patrol.
This is quite worrying but i wonder how many were/are down to speed alone and how many down to the simple fact that some people simply cant drive/ride?
Isnt that almost the magic 7% figure...... that never gets talked about??
Another tip for keeping yourself alive when on a bike is to constantly think about your road positioning in relation to your visibility to other road users.
Bit of a mouthful I know but what I mean is, for example;
you are riding down a road where another road joins it from the left, if you see a car sat waiting to pull out of the junction, move towards the crown of the road . This brings you more easily into view of the numpty and you also appear to move more quickly as you pass across his field of view faster.
I used this technique for years and never once had anyone pull out on me. Still use it when driving my car to be honest.
Bit of a mouthful I know but what I mean is, for example;
you are riding down a road where another road joins it from the left, if you see a car sat waiting to pull out of the junction, move towards the crown of the road . This brings you more easily into view of the numpty and you also appear to move more quickly as you pass across his field of view faster.
I used this technique for years and never once had anyone pull out on me. Still use it when driving my car to be honest.
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