Better awareness of motorcyclists
New statistics reveal worrying trend
The DfT, Welsh Government, and Transport for London released statistics on road safety in June. Upon analysis, it is evident that the number of motorcyclist casualties is on the rise – up 8% from 2015’s stats. What’s more, motorcyclists accounted for just over a fifth of all casualties – a huge number considering the proportion of motorcycles to other vehicles on the road.
Something positive that came out of the recent road safety report, however, was the trend of declining casualties among other road user groups. This trend didn’t apply to motorcyclists though, who saw their number of causalities increase instead.
About the worrying trend, Lucy Amos, research advisor for Brake told Road Safety GB:
“The increase in motorcycle deaths last year is a clear indicator that something must be done now to secure the safety of vulnerable road users in particular. This is why Brake is calling for the reintroduction of ambitious casualty reduction targets to act as a driving force for the fight against road death and injury at the national level.”
Motorcyclist casualties in the news
These statistics follow a number of worrying news stories that have already been reported this year. Back in April, a motorcyclist died following a collision with an HGV on the A30 at Fraddon. The following month, in May, yet another motorcyclist died after he was hit by a lorry on a busy road near Victoria station.
The majority of the motorcyclist accidents like these tend to occur at junctions (45%), while ‘failure to look properly’ was also another cause cited by the Department of Transport.
Safety solutions to minimise motorcyclist casualties
Whatever type of vehicle you drive, you can do something to help minimise the number of motorcyclist casualties. With better road awareness and safety technology in your vehicle, those troublesome blind spots will become less of an issue.
We recommend the following road safety technologies:
- VT TurnSafe – to improve cyclist/motorcyclist awareness, help detect road users of this type and reduce the risk of accidents at junctions
- VT Cameras – to improve the visibility of the road, especially in poor weather conditions or at night
- VT Live – to improve your awareness and help you identify how you could improve your driving skills.
At Vision Techniques, we also offer a range of other revolutionary safety solutions – such as VT BrakeSafe, one of our newest products. This handbrake failsafe system is a must-have for all large vehicles, helping to prevent runaway accidents once and for all. To find out more, head on over to the product page or give us a call on 01254 697 717.