The government have picked up on the public’s disregard to motorcyclists, and want their campaign to encourage motorists to see motorcyclists as people. The reason people choose to ride a motorbike is not necessarily because of the speed it can reach – it may be for a number of other reasons. Some people just love the feeling of riding a motorcycle; it creates a sense of freedom that no other motorist may feel.
Motorbikes are slim and can therefore squeeze though traffic, meaning those riding them aren’t forced to sit in traffic jams every day. The Think! campaign ‘Named Riders’ aims to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries amongst motorcyclists by humanising them in the eyes of car drivers. The message given out by the campaign is that motorcyclists are a wide range of people with names, personalities, and families – just like car drivers.
Get the Facts
- Motorcyclists are 57 time more likely to be injured in serious or fatal crashes than car drivers.
- In 2008, 493 motorcyclists died, and 5,556 were seriously injured in road collisions in Great Britain.
- Motorcyclists account for just 1% of total road traffic, but account for 19% of all road user deaths.
Those statistics are quite shocking, but there are ways to help prevent such accidents if all road users work together and show a duty of care to one another. As a motorcyclist, you should make sure that you wear the correct gear, make yourself visible, and that you position yourself correctly when using the roads. Car drivers should check for motorbikes when changing lanes, and should keep their distance from bikes and check for them when turning.
If you have been involved in a road traffic accident that wasn’t your fault, and you would like to make a claim, contact the Injury Lawyers for expert advice about claiming for compensation.