Parking news - Parking charge plan is scrapped - Local - Derbyshire Times Policing news - Police hope to tackle rising biker deaths - Local - Derbyshire Times
Rising biker deaths?" In 2012, there were 117 motorcyclists killed or seriously injured on Derbyshire roads. That is compared to 141 the previous year". My maths aint good but looks to me its gone down.
one of the lads i know of another forums was up there yesterday and had is photo takin sat on the police blade its a white one so us repsol will be ok
Do you still have to pay in the fish ponds car park? Don't get up there much now though. When they put a blanket 50 limit it kinda spoiled the fun.
Historically though, any initiative to "reduce biker fatalities" generally consists of increasing the awareness of the problem to just bikers and not road users in general. Targeting speed and regulatory transgressions for bikes is a damn sight easier and, in the public's eyes, justified than stopping a car for lane swapping without indicating or half crossing a junction to force a gap. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's all conceived with the best intention and any reduction in fatalities and Injuries is more than welcome, but how will it be achieved? By stopping loud and fast moving bikes, moving in large groups through the countryside and lecturing the riders on speed awareness and being mindful of their environment or by stopping elderly drivers displaying poor positioning and consistency and people carriers full of yelling ferry kids driven by harassed and already late mums. I know which I'd put my hard earned on. I don't need to be lectured on how vulnerable I am, I know. Tell those who don't even notice that I'm there until I've gone past them and then automatically assume I've done something wrong because I made them jump when I did it because the three H7 lamps and the indicator in their mirror still wasn't enough to make them 'actually' look in it.
I agree with your comments Ken, more often than not, these initiatives are focused on the victims and not the cause's. Yes its a great idea to make bikers more aware but more aware of what ? The inadequate driving skills, poor awareness and lack of concentration of car drivers. Am i being asked to make allowances for these dangerous road users and at the same time accept that it is my fault that i sometimes put myself in situations that may have a less than favourable outcome. Fair to say that some two wheeled gladiators do show poor road craft, ignorance of speed limits and selfish attitudes to other road users but if your going to focus an initiative on reducing road deaths then it has to encompass all road users. It is all i can do to keep myself safe let alone second guess the actions of others. I choose to try and stay away from these high tourist routes anyway, in favour of the more challenging route less travelled.
We are not simply a minority group of road users, the likes of, say, classic car drivers or cyclists. We are also generally regarded as the architects of our own demise. "It was an accident involving a motorcycle, well what do you expect, he was probably going far too fast." "I'm not surprised he had an accident, the noise he was making when he went past". I'm not saying for one moment that I don't make a lot of noise, I've got close to 150 bhp going through a 3 foot long exhaust, and who are we trying to kid if we imply we don't ride fast, but even then, on the roads in this part of the world I probably corner faster in my car than I do on my bike, but more often than not, the great unwashed are mistaking the acceleration difference as 'speeding'. I'll filter traffic then drop them at the traffic lights without breaking the speed limit. That's what filtering is. Plus, I could do the same on a 125 scooter. The problem we have is that everything we do, how we dress, how we congregate, singles us out from the herd and labels us as an accident waiting to happen. When it does, regardless of cause, in the eyes of the world in general there's a collective "well what did you expect". That's why I'm cynical of any such initiative, but always apply to be proved wrong. Perhaps, the 'Green' factor of biking should be pushed at a governmental level. Then people will become afraid of pointing out our execrable road craft for fear of castigation by the media. Like they are with cyclists.
you guys dont half get picked on by the police over there. think I'll take the car if I ever visit lol
You'd laugh mate but I've lived in the same village for 17 years and am a great believer of not shitting where you eat, so have always been careful both leaving and coming home. The introduction of a 20 mph limit here compounded matters greatly when I had the Ducati. You know yourself what they're like at 20 mph. So I started coming into the top of the village, dropping into neutral and coasting at tickover as far as I could towards home. And I would still get pedestrians gesticulating at me to slow down as I pooled past at push bike speed with the Remus's gargling behind me. I reckon they think we're bloody Roundheads coming back for 'em.
Drivers should be taught to use their windows as well as their mirrors.Half of accidents happen cos they don't look properly or look ahead instead of only the car or bus in front.My pet hates are bloody roundabouts when the idiots stop when there is no one on it.
I agree with a lot of the comments here. There are some bikers who unfortunately earn what they get, that is sad but true. The vast majority of us, however, do not get what we deserve and spend countless energy and time taking avoiding action against people who either do not see us, do not care and the very few who deliberately try to cause us to crash. I hate the way the campaigns go, loud exhausts, number plates and of course speed. If speed alone caused death I would have been dead 40 years ago and would have died many times since. Bad driving is the main cause, pure and simple. Although I would hate it, re-test at specific intervals might help. I live in an area with a huge elderly population. There are not just many drivers in their 80's but also 90's. They often drive on the wrong side of the road in built up areas and just pull out of side turnings, driveways and the kerb without even considering looking. As for people on mobile phones, I just despair, it is a pointless law because it is seldom policed in our area. The Mothers taking their children to and fro from school makes me laugh the most. With small children and babies on board approx 50 % of them will be on their mobiles even right up to the drop off/pick up points. I also think society in general has a more 'F' 'U' mentality in general terms, yes there are some lovely people in the world, but the general thing seems to be, " I am more important than you, you can wait (do an emergency stop, drive around me etc) I am going to do x now and you can just get on with it, I am doing my own thing and that is my right ". I know I sound very negative and cynical (that is because I am lol) but 'people' seem so inconsiderate these days. Road traffic laws have become a farce in many areas, no one polices them. I live in a small town, basically you can drive how you like, park where you like, when you like and just about break every single traffic law. The only thing you may get, especially in the tourist season, is a speeding ticket, mainly at the weekend.Of course, if you are a biker, you can expect to get stopped a bit more......and I just love being told I am very vulnerable......it's because no-one does anything about the Tw*ts who are driving dangerously. End of Easter rant, Happy Easter
