questions, questions, questions

Why do some bikers do really stupid things?  Why do bikers so often bury their heads in the sand?  When will bikers take some responsibility for their actions?

Bikers are vulnerable to the unacceptable driving standards of other road users; as a club we are acutely aware of this.  And surely every biker must have a pretty good idea of the dangers we face both from other road users as well as those from our own making.  Yet it never ceases to amaze me just how stupid bikers can be.  Not content with the dangers dished out by others they seem to want to heap on a load more danger for good measure.

Is this extra helping of risk pure stupidity or do we just get swept into the excitement of duelling with the other traffic – a sort of modern-day dog-fight under the banner of “making good progress”?  To be honest, I don’t know and can only guess at the answer.

Perhaps it’s a similar situation to car drivers where the environment has become increasingly high tech and more like the cockpit of a jet fighter.  While we are not encased in the way of a motorist, we do strap on our body armour; insulate our senses with ear plugs and enjoy levels of performance that most car drivers can only dream of.  Perhaps that potent mix of performance, shifting horizons as we lean through corners and the ensuing adrenaline rush overrides our normally rational behaviours.

But, hey, let’s get real – all of that’s just making excuses.  We’re too quick as bikers to put all of the blame on motorists.  We need to take more responsibility for our own safety.  The statistics coming through from Hampshire Constabulary make very uncomfortable reading; up to 19th July this year there were 11 two-wheeled fatalities on the roads of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight compared with 5 for the same period in 2006.

Every one of those 11 fatalities is a tragedy which affects family, friends, colleagues and bystanders.  As bikers we know that some of these accidents are unavoidable, but I suspect that a proportion are entirely avoidable if we, as bikers, were to stop doing stupid things.  Here’s my starter for ten; the three most stupid things that we do as bikers (and before anyone gets “holier than thou”, I should say that I have personally seen some of these behaviours on recent SAM Group Rides).

1. Don’t overtake opposite junctions – it’s just inviting a conflagration (and treat garages the same as junctions).
   
   

2. If you are “pushing the envelope”, scrub off a some speed as you approach and pass junctions – give other traffic at least half a chance of seeing you.
   
   

3. Don’t hover on other vehicles’ blind spots – if you make yourself invisible, you’re just asking to be taken out.

Ride safely and enjoy what promises to be an Indian summer.

The Grumpy Old Biker.

Disclaimer:  Grumpy Old Biker is a periodic column written for the SAM newsletter.  It is highly unlikely that the views expressed here are in any way representative of the IAM or SAM.