CONCERNED by the number of motorcyclists involved in road traffic accidents, a local motorcyclist and instructor is trying to improve road safety for both drivers and motorcyclists.
Motorcyclists are 75 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in serious or fatal crashes than car drivers. In 2011, 362 motorcyclists died and 5,247 were seriously injured in road collisions in Great Britain.
Mark Kimpton, an advanced riding instructor, has enjoyed riding motorbikes for years, and wants to tackle the statistics.
He said, “I find it frustrating and upsetting when I hear of motorcyclists injured or killed in a road traffic accident.
“On a motorbike you are, without a doubt, more vulnerable. It’s not necessarily more dangerous, but you are more vulnerable. Any motorcyclist who doesn’t acknowledge that is putting themselves in a difficult position – they’re in an unreal world.
“They have to be really, really aware. They have to take responsibility for their own safety – there isn’t a lot of point blaming someone else when you’re lying in a hospital bed.”
Motorcyclists face a number of additional hazards on the road to drivers. They are can be affected by the road surface, and in particular loose gravel, diesel spillages, manhole covers, wet leaves, or mud. The nature of the one track motorcycle makes it inherently less stable, and more likely to be affected by imperfections in the road surface.
But drivers, too, can do their bit to help motorcyclists. Mark says, “Drivers need to take on the responsibility of looking all around. Very often a driver doesn’t expect to see a motorcyclist – they look, but they don’t see.”
In the Westbury area, Mark identifies roads that need extra care and attention. The winding B3098 out to Bratton is one, as is Fairwood Road, which runs from Dilton Marsh to Brokerswood. The main A350 can also be a problem spot, with a lot of heavy vehicles and bad road surface in places.
Mark says that, for both drivers and motorcyclists, observation of the road and other users is key.
The police run ‘Bike Safe’ courses, or there are instructors who offer post-test rider training and development. Mark said, “What’s important to me is that riders get the skills they need.”
Pictured: Mark Kimpton and his Triumph Sprint.
