IAM’s head of riding standards and advanced motorcyclist, Peter Rodger, is offering monthly motorcycling tips. This month, he is advising on riding in the wind and rain.   

 • Give yourself enough following distance. In the rain you need to see the road surface ahead of you early enough to be able to avoid puddles, drain covers and potholes full of water.
• Lorries often throw up a wall of spray that you can’t see through.  Don’t be tempted to rush into an overtake when you can’t see. Stay further back to avoid the worst of spray until you can see clearly enough.
• Heavy rain creates pools of water across the carriageway. If you see water pooling, avoid it if possible. If you see one too late to avoid it, don’t brake or accelerate in it – ease off the throttle a bit, hold the handlebars firmly and steer straight ahead.
• Remember, braking distances increase in the rain. Slow down, look further ahead and increase your following distance.
• Strong winds severely unsettle your bike and blow you off course. Look ahead at the trees and bushes, and the behaviour of other vehicles to see how the wind is affecting them – it will show you where the worst patches are. Watch for gaps in buildings or trees – such as firebreaks in forests – they often cause strong side winds. Riding past lorries and trucks has a similar effect.
• Wind affects other vehicles too. Large and flat sided vehicles are usually most affected – so give them more room, and plan where you are going to overtake. Avoid spots where they are likely to get blown across your path.  

Rodger said: “Riding in bad weather is more challenging. If the weather is really severe, you need to consider whether you need to go out at all, but if you do, give it more thought. The wind itself is invisible, but its effects aren’t – watch them. Getting both cold and wet will really destroy your concentration, as well as be unpleasant, so make sure you have suitable kit for riding in wet conditions.”  

The IAM has launched a new website, for biking advice and tips, with traffic updates, touring advice by country and all you need to know about events and local groups. Tips cover riding with pillions, in groups and night riding.

There’s also a videos page and you can upload your touring photos and stories - get involved at www.betterbiking.org.uk

Go BSB Racing with Ace!
 
Teaming up with MSV, organisers of the UK's premiere motorcycle race series, BSB, Ace Cafe London has an extra pair of tickets up for grabs as a raffle prize, at the cafe on Friday 12th October, to attend Round 12, the Finals, being held at the famous south London circuit Brands Hatch on Sunday 14th October.
 
Spend £5 or more over the counter at the cafe and receive a raffle ticket. Draw will take place at 10pm.
 
www.britishsuperbike.com
www.msvracing.com

Compass Expeditions is excited to announce that Charley Boorman and his good friend, and manager, Billy Ward will be leading two motorcycle tours within Australia in February and March 2013.

Both tours are of 10 days in length; one ride will start in Sydney and travel via the Blue Mountains, Broken Hill, Flinders Ranges and the Great Ocean Road before culminating in Melbourne. The second ride will begin in Melbourne and cross to Tasmania before crossing back to Melbourne and riding the spectacular Victorian High Country and the Snowy Mountains.

“We are very excited to have Charley lead for both these rides” says Compass Expeditions co-founder Mick McDonald, “Both Charley and Billy are great personable guys that are good fun to be around and to have them leading some rides for us is very exciting, it will be a fantastic experience for all involved” continues Mick.

www.compassexpeditions.com

Today’s Department for Transport statistics confirm that 1,901 people were killed in road accidents in 2011, an increase of three per cent on 2010 figures.  

23,122 people were seriously injured, an increase of two per cent on 2010 figures.   The numbers for fatalities for bus and coach occupants fell by 22 per cent, 10 per cent for motorcyclists and four per cent for cyclists.  

Fatalities for car occupants rose by six per cent and for pedestrians by 12 per cent.   The provisional estimated number of people killed in drink-drive accidents increased by 30 to 280. 

The provisional number of killed and seriously injured because of drink driving rose by five per cent to 1570.  

Drink driving accounts for more than half of the increase in road deaths.  Of the increase in the number of people killed on our roads (51), 30 can be attributed to drink driving.  

Failing to look properly was the most significant contributory factor, reported in 42 per cent of all accidents.  

IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig said: “The increase in deaths and serious injuries because of drink driving is absolutely shocking.  It accounts for more than half of the increase in road deaths.  In 2013, we must see a drink driving education campaign, backed up with enforcement, to put an end to these completely unnecessary deaths.  “With last year’s surprising increase in deaths and early indications from 2012 that a trend could be developing, the IAM urges the new road safety minister to make road safety his absolute priority. Britain has been at the top of the world road safety league, but a combination of public spending cuts and lack of central targets may be putting this in jeopardy. The 2011 figures show that saving lives on our roads can never be taken for granted and with human error still the top cause of crashes, education and training must take centre stage in the future.”  

www.iam.org.uk