FOLLOWING ACCIDENT statistics recently publish by the Road Safety Foundation, which found that one-in-four fatal crashes involved a motorcycle, Guardian columnist Ed Douglas has aired his views on speeding motorcyclists, branding them 'immoral and criminally selfish'.

Douglas' opinion stems from his experience at seeing the lead up to, and the aftermath of, a fatal accident involving a car and a speeding motorcyclist. Douglas' piece points the blame for the crash squarely at the biker; the innocent motorist was the unfortunate victim of the head on crash.

The incident left Douglas shaken and infuriated by, what he deemed, were the biker's selfish antics.

So what's his point? The gist of Douglas' column surrounds the government's measures to curb speeding bikers. As a resident who lives on one of the most dangerous roads in Britain, Douglas believes the obscenely large warning posters daubed with childlike slogans that litter many problem speeding areas are 'useless visual detritus'. Moreover, he believes the average speed cameras recently set live, following a three-month delay, on the notorious A537 'Cat and Fiddle may prove equally as inadequate, stating 'they're (speeding motorcyclists) already using false licence plates or they'll go elsewhere and threaten another community.'

Mmmm.

So what does he think the government should do to curb the problem of speeding bikers? His column ends with:
 
'Most motorcyclists are responsible adults. Advisory campaigns like BikeSafe will get a better response than more bossy road signs. In this period of public-spending cuts, the authorities should focus on the minority who are criminally selfish, and not treat bikers as children.'

Not sure there's a solid alternative in that statement, is there?

 

It doesn't metion that bike accidents are actually down 16% and the number of motorcycles have actually risen by 40% on previous figures.....the Office of National Statistics the only across country figures that (well are better than these so and so insurance surveys) has figures acalculated for 2008/2009 the figures for this year have not been released / calculated so their information is out of date and usually bollocks anyway so I wouldn't worry about that drivel.....we all know wankers who drive cars and there are also one who drive bikes and I'm sure any mode of transport...hell I know a few pilots who fly like twats so (granted they haven't caused a crash...That I know of anyway lol)..... ......so really his rants are not well founded as are most other anti bike press write ups.....                                                                                                                                                                             

One in four fatal crashes involve a motorbike ... So 3 in 4 involve other vehicles why is it that tge biker is always made out to be the bad guy!! And how many of the 1 in 4 were not cos of the biker? Does not mention that ....

Moving off thread before soap box comes out!

Problem here is that we are a small minority and like plane crashes make for big headlines. Unfortunately a small few tar us all with a bad reputation, and unfortunately the powers at be are prepared to listen to this one sided argument.                                                                                                                                                                             

Yes but Doh Boy, 'planes normally only crash once.
My instructor told me that when I asked how often these 'planes crash and she should know!!!
                                                                                                                                                                             

So all bikers are selfish then? Annother sweeping statement.............   All car drivers are easily targeted in this un balanced way as I'm sure myself that EVERYBODY has occasionally gone over the limit somewhere in their journey, never mind those of you who profess to stick to the limits no matter what lol                                                                                                                                                                             

I do not get these people! Most of the accidents I have witnessed involved the bike sliding on badly maintained roads, oil leaks, and vehicles pulling out in front of bikers. Yesterday leaving work I had a guy facing into oncoming traffic drive out of his parking bay while changing a cd. Luckily for me when I hit him I contacted the drivers door and did not drop the bike...and front end seems fine. After clearing the situation and exchanging phone numbers I again headed off home only to be cut up by a lorry on a roundabout. This is not isolated incidents almost every day I get cut up,pedestrians walks out in front of me and slipping out on bad road surfaces and then I get labelled selfish for wanting to open up on a open piece of road. Still wonder how many disqualified drivers/drivers without licences cause accidents only to be slapped on the wrist with an extension to a driving ban which they did not adhere to in the first place,but as long as there are bikers they will have a scape goat for the poor innocent motorvehicle drivers...typical!

I'm immoral and shellfish but don't really speed that much, do I count? Just read that again, yeah I'm selfish too but I do smell slightly of prawns