Six dead bikers in 10 days

[Lord Sut]

What an extraordinary thing to say. Do you know that your description applies to any of them? Despite your opening line I don't think you could be more disrespectful if you tried.

I'm sorry you're not happy with my post. You can't please all of the people all of the time however, there will always be someone that takes exception to what you write on the internet.

I don't know if it applies to any of these six, and I did make that caveat in my post and say I was stereotyping. What I do know however is every time the sun shines, the accident rate rockets, so while the stereotype may or may not apply to this six riders, it certainly does apply and is a true stereotype. Again, sometimes people don't like to hear the truth, but that doesn't mean the truth should be kept silent.

This was you making a disparaging comment about those that do not ride all year round and blaming them for their own deaths without knowing the facts of any of the accidents, so the truth doesn't come into it. Part of our right to the freedom of speech is the responsibility to use it wisely.

[GOG 007]

Is there then an arguement to make advanced training compulsory ?

[MarkN]

What I do know however is every time the sun shines, the accident rate rockets......

This can be said about any outdoor activity. I enjoy diving and like motorcycling, every summer the incident count goes up, but, does this mean that people are out of practice, having not done it during the winter or is a simple fact that there are more people doing it?

If you throw enough balls, you'll get a coconut.

[utaka]

Is there then an arguement to make advanced training compulsory ?

Don't be a dick, its hard enough already to get 'new' riders into biking, I Knew a guy who spouted the benefits of IAM and ROSPA, and p155ed everyone off when giving the spiel about you had an overtake here, there and all the rest of it, even thought ROSPA riders should be allowed to ride 10% above the speed limit.

What happened to the guy?...........On one of his 'overtakes' (a tractor), the tractor was indicating to turn 'right' but being ROSPA/IAM he thought he would get away with it.....Wrong, result was badly smashed up and within 6 months took his 12 bore and, game over!!

[Zookman]

Riding motorcycles is dangerous, there's no getting away from that fact. The more bikers on the road, like when there's good weather, will obviously mean more bike accidents.
In the past few years, I've personally known two bikers that have been killed and one that has been paralyzed from the chest down. All three were experienced bikers that ride all year round. It could happen to any of us given the wrong circumstances.
To assume bikers are killed because they only ride in the summer, when you don't know the bikers or the facts of each accident, is stupid.

[Oop North John]

Is there then an arguement to make advanced training compulsory ?

More appropiate I would say that all drivers should be required to do extra training post the test, which might help increase the standards on the roads today, when everyone thinks they are above average in their driving.

[MarkN]

Is there then an arguement to make advanced training compulsory ?

An interesting question.

It's already a well known fact that percentage wise there are many more motorcyclists trained to advanced level than car drivers.

I've sat in a "driver awareness course" (I was caught doing 78mph on a dual carriageway) and I've been staggered at the lack of basic knowledge of the Highway Code etc.

In an ideal world everyone should be retested on hazard awareness, Highway Code and driving skills every 5 years but like an MOT this only proves that the driver was good on the day. But, it will make every driver read the HC every now and then.

Saying all this though, who pays and manages it?

As for Advanced training, the choir are already converted, one big attraction for me was the huge discount in insurance offered once I had passed my test. How do we get the "I've been driving/riding for 30 years, what can I learn" brigade through the doors on a voluntary basis?

[GOG 007]

Is there then an arguement to make advanced training compulsory ?

Don't be a dick,

I only posted the question, was there any need to be rude ?

[Zookman]

Not only is there more bikers on the road in summer, but there is also more traffic in general. Especially down here in the south west.
I like to think i'm an experienced rider, having ridden bikes now for 37 years, but even I have near misses occasionally and these near misses always happen more in the summer with more traffic around.
My last accident 20 years ago, was when a car slammed into the back of me while I was stationary.... no amount of experience on my part could have stopped that happening.

[GOG 007]

Taken from the Bike Safe Web site

The plain facts are that the majority of these crashes are avoidable and all too often involve basic errors of judgement being made by the rider.

Deputy Chief Constable David Griffin, ACPO Roads Policing Motorcycle Safety Lead