Road safety partnerships and police forces across Yorkshire and Humber are teaming up this summer to continue a road safety campaign aimed at keeping motorcyclists safe on the region’s roads.
Roadside education and enforcement operations will continue to underpin the 2012 campaign. This will be complimented with BikeSafe workshop sessions across the region, along with rider information and engagement sessions throughout the summer season.
The 95 Alive Partnership has launched a new on-line film to compliment a routes booklet it produced last year to help riders plan their routes in North Yorkshire.
The partnership will also continue to target drivers through the Someone’s Son campaign, which aims to raise awareness among drivers and asks them to look out for riders. Someone’s Son highlights the fact that bikers are not unidentifiable human beings hidden away under a crash helmet and riding gear, but are people with family and friends.
David Griffin, Humberside police deputy chief constable and police national lead for motorcycling, said: “We urge riders in our region to help by riding in a safe and legal manner. We have some great riding routes to share and would like you to ride home safely to your family each and every time.
“We will not tolerate anti-social riding and the region’s police are working together with road safety partnerships to eradicate this problem. This small minority will be caught and may be diverted to education courses where possible. However, extreme riding is unacceptable; we will prosecute and dangerous riders will be targeted by officers from all forces across all borders.”
For more information about the range of activities within each area contact the following people in the first instance:
Humberside
Ruth Gore – Safer Roads Humber 01482 391458
North Yorkshire
Fiona Ancell – 95 Alive Partnership 01609797489
West Yorkshire
Dave Glanville – Safer Roads West Yorkshire 0113 247 5198
South Yorkshire
Steve Betts – South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership 07831 42 46 41
On rural roads (as classified by the Government) in 2010, there were 6422 collisions (all injury) involving a motorcycle and 1964 of these only involving 1 vehicle (31%). For Yorkshire and Humber, there were 181 single vehicle collisions out of 557 involving motorcyclists (32%). Interestingly, in North Yorks, there were 92 single vehicle collisions out of 252 motorcycle collisions on rural roads (37%). These percentages don’t change much for KSIs either and match what TRL found in the MAIDs OTS comparison report. Figures from MAST.
Dave, Leeds
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In Depth Study of Motorcycle Accidents here: http://speedcamerareport.co.uk/indepthstudyofmotorcycleacc.pdf gives very good information, eg:
“An examination of who is actually responsible for motorcycle accidents involving poor observation or inattention reveals that the rider is only responsible for 4.27% (n ¼ 2,155) of the total number of causes given on the database, whereas another road user is responsible for almost a quarter (23.4%, n ¼ 2,155).”
This report is quoted at 1.9 motorcycles and mopeds here: http://speedcamerareport.co.uk/01_speeding.htm
Dave Finney – Slough
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Thanks Honor for the actual stats. I couldn’t believe that less than one third of incidents don’t involve another vehicle in rural [country] areas, and that it’s even less out there on the urban and town roads. My arguement related to stats related only to KSI and not the full general stats.
Yes many things need addressing, the loss of life is too great and the number of collisions between twv and 4wv are still too great, but it’s not just about educating the motorcyclist to believe they need to take care, which of course, they do, but to get into the minds of 4wv drivers more so.
As more people take to cycling (many being motorists) due to the government’s financial initiatives they will find themselves in the same or similar position as other twv, and hopefully they will respect those vulnerabilities and drive accordingly.
bob craven Lancs
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I think that Bob Craven may be referring to the local stats from the Yorkshire Dales and across North Yorkshire – which do indeed show that 75% of our motorcycle collisions either involve only the motorcyclist or, where another vehicle is involved, the motorcyclist caused the collision with the other vehicle. This is not typical of most other areas, especially not urban areas.
The Someone’s Son campaign is one of a number of ongoing programmes whereby between agencies, we seek to reach and keep reaching all sorts of motorcyclists both in urban areas, commuting to work or riding out into the countryside for a ride out. There isn’t just one problem here so there isn’t a single solution either.
Police can and do impound motorbikes from riders – both in urban areas and out in the countryside. This mechanism is well used where appropriate.
Honor Byford, North Yorkshire
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Thanks Bob, but actually the stats show that only around 1/3rd of motorcycle collisions involve no other vehicle in rural areas, and less than that in urban areas. In Yorkshire and Humber at least. And the campaign does have an element aimed at riders in rural areas, it’s just weighted to reflect what our regional stats tell us is the problem.
Dave Glanville, Safer Roads West Yorkshire
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Someone’s Son, a good campaign but limited to towns and conurbations where there is the greatest likelihood of vehicles coming into contact with twv as opposed to out on the country roads where the majority (90% plus) are single vehicle accidents only.
Its good to see that there will be law enforcement out there in the presence of police motorcyclists and I hope that prospective offenders will be put off by their mere presence as part of a pro-active deterrent.
I would however like to see the laws being upheld and in certain circumstances the removal of an offender’s bike and an immediate ban on the offender. I understand that similar punishments are used regularly in countries abroad.
If u have such a deterrent to hand I believe that you will definately deter the idoits that endanger both themselves and others on our roads.
bob Craven Lancs
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