Ireland amongst worst in EU for biker safety

RATM

From the Irish Times
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/motors/2009/0603/1224247933805.html

A NEW road safety campaign aimed at motorcyclists is to be launched later this month following the release of figures which show the Republic is among the worst countries in Europe for the percentage of bikers killed each year.

The figures, from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), show Ireland second only to Slovenia in a group of 20 European counties. Road deaths among bikers here account for more than 14 per cent of all road fatalities, while motorbikes account for less than two per cent of all registered vehicles.

The campaign comes as provisional Garda figures reveal 32 people were killed in road crashes generally in May, compared to 19 in May 2008 – making it the worst May since 2005, which was a nine-year high.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA), which is to run the campaign, said the trend in motorbike deaths had been declining, but in recent years had started to rise again.

The campaign will state that learner drivers should wear a high visibility jacket, with a prominent “L”. It will feature warnings to “fair-weather” bikers, whose occasional forays in summer are accepted as a factor in summers being the worst time for motorbike deaths.

It will also target mature bike drivers who may have changed recently to a more powerful machine, with the attendant risks

How come these safety campaigns for bikers never target motorists and educate them of the dangers of not paying attention when bikes are around? That seems to be half the problem, the old 'He came out of no-where' excuse is still used now as much as ever.

ogriofa

good post!
I would like to see the stats of the % of biker deaths that were the fault of the car driver. (I know most biker deaths are 1 vehicle accidents)
Dont get me wrong, itll be a cold day in hell before I give MORE power to the legislators, but fair weather bikers ARE a risk to themselves at the start of "the season".
How about something like making the Guards assesment mandatory - haven't thought about it much yet. Rather than having a test, to have an assesment to get you thinking about what you're doing.
I don't know, but ideas are neccesary

Lab_Mouse

Also our roads are feckin death traps.If they are dangerous for cars,4 times as bad for motor bikes

JCDenton

ogriofa wrote: »

I would like to see the stats of the % of biker deaths that were the fault of the car driver. (I know most biker deaths are 1 vehicle accidents)

I remember readin this a few years ago; but I don't recall ever seeing an Irish equivalent?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_findings_in_the_Hurt_Report

KamiKazi

Of course the government won't do anything about the idiotic car drivers that cause the majority of bike accidents.

Del2005

It may be usefull the amount of muppets out over the last few days in shorts and t-shirts just adds fuel to the fire.

But cage driver education would pay off better.

Do you think RSA will tell the governemnt that the chesse grater road dividers are highly dangerous for motorbikes

bushy...

Seems illuminated cats eyes do more to reduce accidents on some streches more than anything else.

"Over a three year period there were 22 recorded accidents, 2 of which involved loss of life, along with 6 causing serious injury and 14 others considered as minor."


In the first 2 years 2 months since the initial scheme introduction there were only 5 recorded accidents (all slight) of which none occured during darkness and only one in wet conditions.


"Accident frequency has reduced from 7.3 per yr to 2.3. Severity ratio has reduced from 36% to zero."

http://www.astucia.co.uk/Case-study-Norfolk-A143.aspx

KamiKazi

bushy... wrote: »

Seems illuminated cats eyes do more to reduce accidents on some streches more than anything else.
url]http://www.astucia.co.uk/Case-study-Norfolk-A143.aspx[/url]

Gotta agree with that, they really are amazing on dark country roads that would be completely dark without.

bushy...

For sure , was amazed at how much of an improvement they were the first time I saw them