AS THE biking season heads towards its summer peak, road safety and breakdown group GEM Motoring Assist is calling on all road users to help to reduce motorcycle casualties.
GEM says riders can help themselves by boosting their skills and knowing their limits, while they urge motorists to be more observant in a bid to cut the number of crashes involving motorbikes.
Latest figures show there were 347 motorcycle fatalities in the UK in 2017, a rise of nine per cent on the previous year. So GEM has come up with five simple “lifesaver” safety tips to cut the risk of being involved in a smash.
It recommends a refresher day with a training professional if you’ve had your bike in the garage for the winter and urges people to take time to warm up if they’re not regular riders or “bike fit”.
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GEM also says motorcyclists should make self-preservation a priority by wearing high-visibility clothing and riding in a way that gives others a better chance of seeing them.
The organisation also urges bikers not to ride beyond their comfort zone, especially if they’re in a group – so if friends are cornering too quickly, let them go and catch up with them later.
The final tip is to try to anticipate hazards and, when stopping for a break, reflect on what can be learned from things that went wrong to prevent them happening again.
GEM road safety officer Neil Worth said: “There’s a lot of satisfaction to be gained from riding a motorcycle with skill and precision. But if you’re riding at speed, there is no margin for error if you (or another road user near you) get something wrong.
“That’s why we’re not only encouraging riders to give themselves a ‘skills MOT’ during the early part of this season, we’re also urging drivers and pedestrians to make a special point of looking out for motorcyclists.”
