The joys of motorcycling - including more predictable journey times and better fuel consumption - have encouraged a recent revival in biking, especially in urban areas.

But according to Irish Advanced Motoristscommuters on two wheels have to cope with a host of hazards - not least, car drivers who for various reasons fail to see the motorcycle coming towards them.

In the jargon, too often car drivers look, but fail to see, motorcycles.

This problem is particularly acute at junctions and that is why it is the subject of an advertising campaign. "Sorry mate I didn't see you" is for too many bikers the last words they hear before they are put in the ambulance. Don’t forget to check carefully at junctions when you are emerging. An older slogan had the same affect: "Think once, think twice ... think bike".

Apart from giving bikers a "second glance", there are other things that drivers can do to ease the passage of motorcycles, particularly in heavy congestion, that in turn will mean a safer journey for everybody.

If you are stuck in dense traffic, keep checking your mirrors for bikes. These days they nearly all have their headlight on to make them easier to see. If the biker is trying to "filter" - make his way through the traffic by riding slowly between stationary vehicles, or riding on the white line in the middle of the road - make a point of creating space for them if you can do so in safety.

By pulling over slightly, to one side or the other, you can make the difference between letting the biker past, or adding to the congestion. Remember to check all your mirrors first: you don't want to compromise the bicycle making its way along the nearside in order to allow passage to a biker.

Never be tempted to vent your frustration with the traffic by getting in the way of a motorcycle on purpose. You won't go any faster and you may just contribute to a collision which of course will add to congestion rather than alleviate it.

If you are the biker – don’t be aggressive, the car driver you upset today won’t be inclined to help tomorrow.

And all this applies for pedal cyclists as well – both from car and cyclists point of view.

Two armed robbers who targeted a Sydney bar that was hosting a bikers' meeting must have "failed robber school", said the club's chairman.

The men stormed the bar brandishing machetes and wearing balaclavas - unaware that 50 bikers were holding a meeting in an adjoining room. Alerted to the robbery, some of the bikers chased the men as they fled.

One was caught after trying to escape through a back door. He was later treated in hospital for minor injuries. The other man ran off but was arrested by police in a street nearby.

Southern Cross Cruiser Club chairman "Jester" told local media that the robbers had "picked the wrong night". The would-be bandits had entered the bar and ordered patrons to lie on the floor while they emptied the till.

"I can't believe these guys were stupid enough to come into a club with 50 bikers having a bike meeting" - Jester

But someone managed to run into an adjoining room where the bikers were holding their monthly meeting.

"We were out there minding our own business and then these guys came to the bar here in the pokey (slot machine) area," Jester told the Sydney Morning Herald. "One of the guys took off... straight through a glass window, he didn't even bother pushing the button, he just ran straight through it."

Jester said the police were delighted when they arrived on the scene.

"They were really impressed that we caught these guys, because normally they get here and it's all over and done. But we caught the guys, still with their weapons, still in his balaclava and everything else.

"It's a comedy of errors, I can't believe these guys were stupid enough to come into a club with 50 bikers having a bike meeting - just crazy."