It’s an old slogan but it’s a truism. The Institute of Advanced Motorists has a great section of driving tips that you’d do well to take a look over. Here’s a snippet from the bike awareness driving tip:
“Ask most drivers if they feel safe in their car, and the answer is invariably yes. We are surrounded by metal, with all the latest technology built in to safeguard us if the worst happens.
Add the heater on icy days and our favourite CD and that sense of complacency is complete.
Has that “safe” vehicle lulled us into a false sense of security?
We should really drive as though that airbag was a metal spike, pointing out of the wheel at our chest.
Then we would have a sense of vulnerability – which is how most motorcyclists feel, with good reason.
The first three-year review of the Government’s casualty reduction targets (in 2003) confirmed that motorcyclists continue to be disproportionately represented in casualty statistics. In fact, at that time biker casualty figures were the only ones going in the wrong direction.
Despite a welcome drop in overall casualties in 2004 (compared to 2003) bikers – who represent just one per cent of road users – still accounted for 17% of fatalities. With 585 bikers killed and 6,063 seriously injured in 2004, there is no room for complacency – and bringing the figures down is a top priority for the DfT’s THINK! campaign.”
To read the rest of the tip, visit the IAM website.
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