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THINKBIKE is the premier bike, biker and biking safety campaign in
South Africa. Visit their website (www.thinkbike.co.za),
become a member and participate in their on-line forum.
Every biker in South Africa
should support this initiative in the interest of promoting biking safety
for all.
Note the extraction from the
website of THINKBIKE (below and right), which
is justifiably the point of departure for their campaign...
THINKBIKE is
directed by Brian Canhoo (better known as "Buccaneer"). Email
him at brian@buccaneer.za.net
Extract from
THINKBIKE'S
website...
"A number of studies have been done in the past, most notably in the
US and UK, that show that an alarming number of motorcycle accidents are
directly caused by other vehicles. Being as vulnerable as they are,
bikers very often emerge from these avoidable accidents seriously injured,
maimed or dead.
It is clear that the
accidents we are talking about are the result of ignorance of the issues
affecting motorcycles. This campaign is intended to help educate the
general public about these issues, without pointing fingers or accusing
anyone of negligence. We, as bikers, cannot expect motorists to
consider our safety if we don't help them understand what the roads are
like from our point of view.
The
Hurt
Study, published in the USA in 1981, showed some alarming
trends. More than 900 motorcycle accidents were investigated
in the Los Angeles area, and the results showed that:
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Approximately
three-fourths of motorcycle accidents involve collision with
another vehicle, usually a passenger automobile.
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In these
accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the
motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds
of cases. |
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Do the math.
This means that in fully half of all motorcycle accidents, the
other motorist was to blame. So it's not always "the
damn biker's fault".
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The failure of
motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is
the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The driver of
the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle
did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not
see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision. |
Here's the
problem. Almost every motorcyclist who has been in an
accident with another vehicle will have heard the inevitable
"But I didn't see you!".
We recognise that
as a problem. That is why we ride with headlights on. (It's
now illegal for motorcycles to ride with headlights off, day or
night). That is why we wear bright colours. That is
why we do everything we can to be seen.
But still you
don't see us. We have come to realise that this is because
you don't know how to look. Or what to look for.
This is not an
accusation, this is us, as bikers, understanding the problem.
So all we can do
is try to help educate the public in what to look for, how to
evaluate what it is they see, and how to act in accordance.
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Intersections
are the most likely place for the motorcycle accident, with
the other vehicle violating the motorcycle right-of-way, and
often violating traffic controls.
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The drivers of
the other vehicles involved in collision with the
motorcycle... are generally unfamiliar with motorcycles.
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The likelihood
of injury is extremely high in these motorcycle accidents-98%
of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of the single
vehicle accidents resulted in some kind of injury to the
motorcycle rider; 45% resulted in more than a minor injury. |
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Perhaps you're
starting to understand? Almost every single person who rides
motorcycles has lost a friend to an avoidable accident.
Those of us who talk regularly to other riders hear horror stories
daily.
If you're still
thinking that the bikers are mostly to blame, because they ride
too fast or are "showing off", please take note of the
next point from the study:
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The median
pre-crash speed was 29.8 mph, and the median crash speed was
21.5 mph, and the one-in-a-thousand crash speed is
approximately 86 mph. |
That's 48km/h,
35km/h and 138km/h respectively. So please don't tell bikers
that "speed kills", when they know all to well that it's
motorists who kill."
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