Unfortunately the frequency of this happening is going to influence public opinion. Social media and the press will push for legislation to keep ‘us’ safe from ourselves, which will have the support of the non-motorcycling masses because they’ll be led to believe that motorcyclists going too fast on the wrong side of the road are slamming into their cars every day.
Sad news, thoughts with all involved and their families -<-<-@ Wasn’t there a report a while back saying bike accidents were at a recent (not all time) low? Social media does increase the frequency and broaden the radius of what we hear accidents reported. Sad news none the less.
If stats are your thing:- https://www.gov.uk/government/stati...ies-great-britain-motorcyclist-factsheet-2022
How does a tragedy like this happen, 3 riders together, I can’t imagine witnessing an accident like that and then the emergency services arriving just doesn’t bear thinking about. Very sad indeed and quite thought provoking.
More traffic different types of traffic that don’t know how to exist in the same stretch of tarmac together and potentially vastly different speeds,it’s a recipe for disaster and has been since about 2012.
I drove my car from Winchester to Petersfield yesterday on the same road (A272). A huge group came from the Loomies X roads heading West, towards me and seemed to be having a race. Roads are not the place for this, tracks are.
That has been the same since Loomies opened as a ‘biker’ cafe and the second most common complaint from locals, noise being the first. Back in the day, the bike meet up at Hook, just off the M3 J5 was the same, as is I’m told, Podium Place, the new cafe on the Newbury industrial estate. I know riders that consider themselves fine examples of advanced riders but have no discipline or common sense whatsoever. Andy
IMO, modern bikes are too capable and too powerful for road use. With electrickery that makes braking, cornering and getting back on the power easier, it means that riders are less likely to lose the front on corner entry or highside on the exit, but it also means, particularly when they have 200bhp underneath them, they are travelling extremely quickly when something unexpected happens such as a car pulling out of a junction, encountering debris on the road or target fixation kicks in. And because the speeds involved are much higher, reaction times are reduced, while the amount of kinetic energy involved in a crash is not just increased, but because energy increases with the square of velocity, it is vastly increased. Another factor, which perhaps we don't like to acknowledge, is that superbikes are generally not being ridden by 20-somethings, but by guys aged 50+ whose eyesight and reaction times are not what they were.
I have to agree with much of the above, Willingham woods in my area is a prime example too, i've been there many a time only to see idiots wheely-ing past the entrance ,which is on a slight bend, at high speed and giving absolutely no consideration to other road users, they really get me wound up because the majority of the non bike riding public see them and think we are all the same, and i also agree that its only a matter of time before legislation is brought in to in some way curb our activities. I have no idea what caused the deaths of the riders over the weekend but its so sad and my sympathies are extended to their affected families. I have ridden in a group of so called fast riders before but have since learnt my lesson, the primitive urge to be competative and try and out corner/brake other riders can sometimes strangely override common sense...i now only ride alone or with a well known couple of mates.
I avoid A roads as much a possible, sports bikes tend not to use the B roads and unclassified I ride. Yesterday coming out of Builth Wells on an A road 3 sports bikes overtook me on double continuous White lines as I was stuck behind cars and vans unable to pass a few cyclist on a sportive. Some riding is questionable if not down right dangerous.
Interesting stats that show general trend down but spiked back up 2022. Wonder if some of that is covid 20/21 locking down users and taking a while for roads volumes to build up again? Driving habits are ridiculous right now, couple that with some who like to ride too fast for the conditions or their capabilities and you can see increases again this year.
Even with a modicum of restraint, your chances of your luck running out are somewhat reduced. Public roads present hazards not just from other vehicles and/or drivers/riders but surface conditions, layout, unfamiliarity, the time of day, weather conditions, your age, your perception of your own ability, your assumptions of other road users intentions. The list goes on. It is not always enough to regard everyone and everything around you as a potential threat but it will at least make you think about what you are doing and hopefully improve your spacial awareness so as to avoid putting yourself in danger. Sadly you cannot mitigate for others stupidity or concentration and accidents will continue to happen. All we can do is try to minimise those risks and limiting ourselves to ride in a manner that we are in control of, allowing ourselves time to react when things go pear shaped and knowing the limit of our own abilities. I remember being on a very eye opening Bike Safe course some years ago and a vast percentage of accidents were on left hand bends with no other vehicles involved. Rider approaching the bend far too fast, panic brakes, gyroscopic effect takes over and the bike sits up and goes straight on. In many of these cases, the outcome was not a good one. In most, wholly preventable. A good point was made about rider age as well. Particularly your cognitive health, physical health and reaction time. I am nearly 60 and whilst the bike I currently own is capable of so much more than my skill set will ever exploit, I am not so arrogant as to assume I'm as sharp as I was in my 20s and 30s and so I leave myself much greater margins these days, so I'm only ever riding at a pace that I am comfortable with and that I can realistically feel in control of. Anything faster than that and as "Casey Stoner" one said to VR, "your ambition outweighs your talent". If I feel the need to go any faster than that, then the track is really the only option worth thinking of.
A few months ago I was taking a reasonably fast, sweeping left hander and everything was well under control. Suddenly, a dog rushes out into the road in front of me from my side. Anchors on, stood the bike up, hit the dog full on sideways (no other option), bike all out of shape and running wide (just up to white line) and then slammed it on it’s left side as soon as it had settled. I very narrowly avoided collision with a car that was coming the other way. Had we collided it would have been a combined speed of around 110mph and I would have been killed. Always expect the unexpected and leave enough margin to be able to cope with it. I always rode this way, but this experience has made me leave even more margin than before. We only get 1 life!
