zadok
20th January 2006, 10:49
Just read this interesting article about driver ecucation reducing the number of rider deaths and casualties in the the London area.
Advertising is aimed at car drivers as well, to give them more awareness, which I think is crucial. Using special lanes is a good idea as well IMO.
Driver Education Program Helps London Motorcyclists
January 19, 2006 - (Courtesy of Association des Constructeurs Européens
de Motocycles, Edited by webBikeWorld) Motorcycling in London has grown dramatically from about 62,000 motorcycles owned by Londoners in 1995 to over 100,000 today. However, as the numbers of motorcyclists grew in London, the number of crashes and casualties also rose. To reverse this trend and reinforce
the role of powered two wheeled vehicles (PTWs) in London’s transport mix, specific targets for reducing motorcycling casualties were fixed.
Analysis of the data showed that many of the accidents involved cars and lorries crossing the path of the motorcyclist. Changing the behavior of car drivers became as important as educating motorcyclists how to avoid crashes. To this end, Transport for London commissioned an innovative series of advertisements showing simulated crashes as a way of bringing drivers’ attention to the problem
of “not seeing” the motorcyclist. At the same time, the assessment program ‘Bikesafe’ was introduced, in which qualified police riders assess motorcyclists on roads and advise them how to ride more safely.
In addition, pilot schemes are currently running with motorcycles sharing some bus lanes and advanced stop lines that had been initially introduced for cyclists. Motorcycle casualties in London dropped more than 30% as a result of the safety measures introduced, the number of killed and seriously injured motorcyclists in
London fell from 1,286 in 2001 to 895 in 2004 (-30%).
Since many motorcycle accidents in the United States are also caused by automobile and other vehicle drivers not "seeing" the motorcyclist, these tactics may have implications for us also.
Advertising is aimed at car drivers as well, to give them more awareness, which I think is crucial. Using special lanes is a good idea as well IMO.
Driver Education Program Helps London Motorcyclists
January 19, 2006 - (Courtesy of Association des Constructeurs Européens
de Motocycles, Edited by webBikeWorld) Motorcycling in London has grown dramatically from about 62,000 motorcycles owned by Londoners in 1995 to over 100,000 today. However, as the numbers of motorcyclists grew in London, the number of crashes and casualties also rose. To reverse this trend and reinforce
the role of powered two wheeled vehicles (PTWs) in London’s transport mix, specific targets for reducing motorcycling casualties were fixed.
Analysis of the data showed that many of the accidents involved cars and lorries crossing the path of the motorcyclist. Changing the behavior of car drivers became as important as educating motorcyclists how to avoid crashes. To this end, Transport for London commissioned an innovative series of advertisements showing simulated crashes as a way of bringing drivers’ attention to the problem
of “not seeing” the motorcyclist. At the same time, the assessment program ‘Bikesafe’ was introduced, in which qualified police riders assess motorcyclists on roads and advise them how to ride more safely.
In addition, pilot schemes are currently running with motorcycles sharing some bus lanes and advanced stop lines that had been initially introduced for cyclists. Motorcycle casualties in London dropped more than 30% as a result of the safety measures introduced, the number of killed and seriously injured motorcyclists in
London fell from 1,286 in 2001 to 895 in 2004 (-30%).
Since many motorcycle accidents in the United States are also caused by automobile and other vehicle drivers not "seeing" the motorcyclist, these tactics may have implications for us also.