Born again bikers are writing themselves off at an alarming rate according to Strathclyde Police.
Thirteen bikers aged between 40 and 55 died on the region’s roads last year, with another three already gone the same way this year‚ even before the prospect of a fine bank holiday lures more victims into the deadly embrace of Strathclyde’s undulating tarmac curves.
All three fatalities this year have occurred on rural roads, at the weekend and involved riders in the middle age bracket. Of the thirteen fatalities in 2008, all were men. Their average age was 43, and nine of the incidents took place at the weekend.
Superintendent Niven Rennie urges caution on middle aged weekend warriors: “We are aware that certain roads within the Strathclyde area are seen as being particularly attractive to motorcyclists and whilst we welcome motorcyclists and motorists to the region, we want them to be safe when they are here.”
“Motorcycle riders will always be more vulnerable on the roads than car drivers,” Rennie claims. “Weather conditions changing suddenly, excessive speed and poor judgement in overtaking can all add to that danger.”
“In addition,” he notes with the utmost tact, “a lot of the motorcyclists who fall into the 40 to 55 year old age bracket may not have quite the same experience in handling powerful motorbikes.
“While we don’t want to spoil people’s enjoyment of their hobby, we have to urge caution. Our main aim is to reduce the number of road deaths and make Strathclyde’s roads safer. To this end, I would ask motorcyclists to reduce their speed and obey the rules of the road”.
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