What is your opinion on Bike Safety ?????
I just read an article in Bedford Biker (the motorcycling matters mag) about a 24 year old lad killed in Bigglewade in Febuary.
It tells how whilst breaking the 30mph speed limit a car pulled out of a junction right across his path causing a collision which killed him.
Car drivers fault you're thinking !!!
But apart from the fact of his excess speed, this lad was riding with no lights on & dark clothing. So basically with the car behind having lights on he became all but invisible.
Whilst I have been riding for over 30 years & had a few offs. I have two bad accidents which put me in hospital, both caused by cars pulling out across my path, neither at high speed but doing a lot of damage 1 shattered my collar bone & broke some ribs the other almost severing my right leg completely off.
But my point of this blog is, Why Do Bikers Ride With No LIGHTS ON ?????????
Daytime riding With no lights on is as INSANE as no lights at night.
A lot of modern bikes are made without a switch so the lights are on permanantly. If the manufacturers think this is a neccessaty then why do riders still ride without.
The lad killed in Bigglewades was riding a bike without lights even though it was only 8 minutes from sunset, if he rode with his lights on permanantly he would have been seen by the guy who pulled out in front of him & would possibly still be alive today.
Whilst I simpathise with the family of the dead lad, I do believe that some bikers tempt fate by riding with no lights on in the daytime. The lights on my bike are on all the time, I will not ride without them & I believe they have saved me numerous times from cars pulling out on me.
I dont neccessarly agree with the essex or sussex police stopping bikers who aren't wearing yellow hi-vis vests but have to agree with their motives of Be Seen Be Safe.
With your headlights on you are helping yourself be seen. It cost you nothing to keep your lights on and could help save your life.
Yes I ALWAYS ride with my lights on. It is quite odd though the number of well meaning little old ladies who hobble across the road on a crossing in front of me and say 'Dear - you have your lights on!'
Agree with all ref FZR600R comments, and of course sympathies with the family. I always have my lights on; even have them on in the car if it is less than brilliant sunshine. It is becoiming law for cars soon I gather anyway, like Eastern Europe. This will be good for cars, but us bikers will now be a single light in a hail of lights, perhaps we need daytime lights, purple or something unique, cheers Paul
A sad story indeed.
I cannot imagine riding without lights, regardless of the light or weather conditins. At night I have also heard of riders that add a slight 'weave' when riding in town, this apparently stops your lights blending into the lights of following vehicles. Never tried it myself but seems to make a little sense. I ride a black bike with black leathers and up to date havn't had an issue. I tend to ride with the attitude that they are all going to pull out, if they don't it's a bonus.
Cheers,
Steve
Headlights on can also cause drivers to see a 'halo effect' around them and make it difficult to judge speed. So can be difficult either way. Me, I ride with them all the time and as said, assume anyone could pull out on you and ride accordingly.
If you are on a road with lots of side roads then it is probably not the place to be speeeding.
i have a brightly coloured bike, even with the lights on and wearing a hi-vis i have had some close calls.
should the car drivers take some responsibility for 'seeing' other traffic in the road?