stop smoking patches & giving RO

[monty69]

You are right of course Mark and we shouldnt forget that car drivers do NOT give enough consideration to bikers. As much as anyone, I have been guilty of that in the past although fortunately for me the biker concerned was able to avoid me and not crash. I didnt see him coming and pulled out of a parking space. He ended up on the pavement across the road. My luck was that no-one was coming the other way. Oh and yes he did have his headlamp on so god knows why I didnt see him.
The current radio ad compaign is very effective I think but we could also do with another on the TV - it is all too easy to forget them.

[TophatMark]

I think the "major" problem is that they made it harder and more expensive to take a motorcycle test, and limited the length of time you can drive one as a learner (after having taken at least two tests to get on the road in the first place - which become void if you don't pass your test). They brought in the "Moped law" which meant you couldn't legally ride a bike until you were 16.. so many people missed that year on the road as "vulnerable" - Your cited "incident" proves that part of your KH250 experience has stayed with you.. a "non-motorcyclist" would blame the biker for being too close, driving too fast, not paying enough attention and not themselves!
Where many people would use a Honda50 (or alternative) to commute to work, the cost of licensing, insuring and taxing means they can't afford to. so take a car instead. Car policies still have a clause that says "The insured is also covered to ride a motorcycle provided that he holds or has held a suitable licence" or something similar - it is impossible to buy road tax using that policy as insurance because the DVLA system demands "specific" registration details.
In France (and many other European countries) you can drive a moped from 14.. this has a greater effect on road awareness (in my opinion) than the "information adverts" because more people have more experience of "bikes". If you notice, the latest advert is aimed at the bikers not having helpful warning signs (diesel on road, Tractor around blind bend, etc) so they should drive more carefully.. subliminally pushing the "blame" onto the bikers (often the victims) and not at the major cause of most accidents. I better get off this soapbox lol

[Freddo]

Bikers are the most vunerable people on the road. There are some really good bikers out there and also a lot of numpties but in my experience pro rata there are a hell of a lot more idiots in cars and vans the amount of idiots that cut into your braking zone when you are on a moterway or even on a normal road then give you a filthy look because you nearly knocked them into the middle of next week.
The idiots in cars and vans always seem to think its okay to cut you up you can stop
Car and van drivers on there phones as well illegal I could earn a fortune as a self employed cop just taking a percentage of the fines that I could issue

[monty69]

Certainly right there Freddo! I dont think I have ever seen a biker on the phone apart from when he/she is parked up - not even on hands free! We should take a leaf out of their books.