Ride it Right

Staffordshire County Councils campaign to reduce motorcycle casualties on its roads is headed by the Ride it Right campaign, which highlights the stretches of road where there is a disproportionately high number of motorcycle casualties.

The routes targeted in 2008 are:

A34 Newcastle to Kidsgrove
A449 Wombourne to Kinver
A520 Leek to Stone
A5 Weston to Cannock
A53 Leek to Flash
A53 Newcastle to Loggerheads
A458 Stourton to Six Ashes
A460 Cannock to Wolverhampton
A518 Stafford to Newport (Shrops)

The routes have been highlighted through the siting of temporary yellow signs allerting both motorcyclists and other road users.

The message has been reinforced through publicity and promotional resources. Beer mats have been placed in most pubs along the routes, together with 'Ride it Right' leaflets, RoSPA's Ride Safe leaflet and Department for Transport resources. Filling stations have also been targeted for publicity along the routes and the general campaign has gone countywide.

The Road Safety & Sustainable Travel Unit have produced a DVD in association with a local motorcycle trainer, which takes you along the six routes from the bikers viewpoint, and has many tips regarding hazard awareness, forward planning and defensive riding.

The 5 most common motorcycle collisions are:

Failure to negotiate a left hand bend on a country road
Failure to negotiate a right hand bend on a country road
Collision at junctions
Collision while overtaking
Loss of control

How to avoid the 5 most common motorcycle collisions

Bends on Country Roads
Most bikers do their training on town roads. Country roads are different, so you have to apply your skills, knowledge and ability differently. Some bends are smooth and even, some tighten up dramatically. If you have gone into a bend at too high a speed you will find yourself with a major problem. Try to use the road to give you clues; you may be able to see the line of the road using the trees or telegraph poles. Take care when entering a bend. If in doubt lose more speed entering the bend to give yourself more room to manouvre.

Collisions at Junctions
This can be due to a driver failing to give way or stop and falling into the category 'looked, but did not see'. Many collisions happen at T-junctions but can occur at other junctions too. Some road users like to take every opportunity to join the flow of traffic and may not spot your bike even though you may think that you are easy to see. Always remember if there is a collision between a car and your bike, you and your bike will come worse off regardless who is at fault. Expect the unexpected and don't get taken by surprise. Consider how you would deal with the vehicle pulling out on you unexpectedly.

Collisions while Overtaking
Overtaking not only needs skill and judgment of speed and distance, but a good knowledge of your bikes acceleration. With a bike that you're not used to riding, take time to learn its capabilities and how it reacts to acceleration and braking, before doing any overtaking.

Don't overtake when approaching bends, junctions, lay-bys, pedestrian crossings, hills or dips in the road, or where there are double-white lines.
To overtake safely you need a view of everything going on around you. You have no idea how others may react when seeing you overtaking. You can't assume they are going to slow down for you; they may do the opposite.

Loss of Control
The two main reasons for loss of control are shunts and road surface conditions.

Shunts are generally down to riding too close to the vehicle in front or the vehicle behind you being too close. To protect yourself leave plenty of room between you and the vehicle in front; be able to stop in the distance you can see to be clear. If the vehicle behind you is too close give yourself more room in front.

You need to adjust your riding style to deal with different road conditions. There are many road conditions that could cause a loss of control, including poor weather, diesel spillages, mud, raised ironworks or road markings. Look out for these and road signs warning you of hazards.

If you identify a road defect or condition that may cause a loss of control to a motorcyclist report it on Staffordshires 'Clarence' hotline on 0800 232323.

For more information contact Kevin Wilcox at bikers@staffordshire.gov.uk.

Last Modified: 21/05/2008 13:51:46
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