Category: Safety & Compensation

1. Motorcycle Accident Claims

   Posted on 12:59pm Friday 12th Apr 2013

   If I have a medical problem with my spine, I want someone who understands my vertebrae and of course I wouldn’t dream of calling to see my dentist. It must be the same with motorcycle accident claims. I want someone who understands what I have experienced as a biker!
   
   I want someone who is a biker and not someone who I have try to explain things to time and time again.  
   
   What I really don’t want is to try and explain things to a lifelong car driver who will not only fail to understand what I am trying to say, but may even not sympathize with my dilemma. I want a bike solicitor that deals with motorcycle accident claims and not a non riding lawyer who will deal with it, but not really understand it.  I want a solicitor who has ridden to work and parked his motorbike unashamedly outside the office, and will ride it back home at the end of the day; that’s what I want from a real motorcycle accident claims lawyer.  

   When a motorcyclist or scooter rider are injured as the result of a road traffic accident, they will want solicitors that understand the difficulties they have experienced as the direct result of being a minority on the roads. In that, I mean that compared with the number of car drivers, involved in accidents each day, we as motorcyclists make for a very small proportion.  

   Motorbike accident claims are becoming more and more sophisticated in their approach to dealing with personal injuries involving motorcyclists who may be completely innocent victims. What we don’t want is the motorcyclist to be a secondary victim of a non riding solicitor who may simply not understand.  

   With the ever increasing cost of fuel, we will shortly see a dramatic rise in the number of motorcyclists on the road. That being the case, we will also see a rise in the number of motorcycle injury claims. For many years in many countries throughout the world, the motorcycle has been the staple form of transport for businesses and households.

   Many are driven to two wheels by poverty, whilst many do it simply because they are passionate and simply want to. It is this desire to ride on two wheels that drives the majority of people in this country to become motorcyclists.  

   As global oil prices rocket, so will the number of motorcyclists and so will the number of motorcycle injury claims that will need specialist knowledge, handing and expertise.  

   Don’t lose out on your compensation, pick experience over image. Pick a genuine motorcycle injury claims solicitor; nothing else will do. Remember, passion about motorcycles and legal expertise go hand in hand.  

   If you have had a motorbike injury claim, then call us today for free biker to biker legal advice on 0800 622 6517.

2. BRITAIN’S BADLY BEHAVED COMMUTERS

   Posted on 5:11pm Sunday 31st Mar 2013

   ...A THIRD DON’T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT DANGEROUS DRIVING  

   UK commuters are behaving badly behind the wheel, with 65% admitting to their own bad driving behaviours over the last year, dispelling the patient and polite British persona.  

   Rushed and stressed commuters don’t feel guilty about driving dangerously or being distracted on the road as they race to get to the office on time, according to new research from car insurance provider Allianz Your Cover. In fact a fifth (21%) blame their poor habits on other commuters.  

   The top five bad commuter behaviours are:   1. Speeding (30%) 2. Careless driving (14%) 3. Travelling too fast for the conditions (14%) 4. Tailgating (13%) 5. Not looking when changing lanes (13%)  

   Commuters may however have been twisting the truth about their bad habits, as although nearly a third (30%) admitted to speeding, more than half (55%) have seen other drivers exceed the speed limit. And the bad habit bluffing doesn’t stop there:   • 5% admit they have jumped a red light – 38% have seen other commuters do this • 4% have applied make-up – 22% have seen other commuters do this • 2% say they failed to stop at a give way sign – 22% have seen other commuters do this  

   More than half of British commuters (52%) are in too much of a hurry to drive safely and are blaming their bad driving on a lack of concentration (30%) and being tired (27%). The commuting environment impacts the workplace as almost half of drivers (43%) believe that their commute affects their mood and can negatively impact their work.  

   Natalie Woods, of Allianz Your Cover Insurance said: “Our research found that British commuters feel they drive carelessly during their journeys due to rushing and tiredness. This is supported by police road accident statistics which show that 46%* of accidents can be attributed to careless driving. We urge drivers to take a careful and considerate approach to their driving in order to reduce accident rates and improve the experience of all their fellow commuters and drivers. One in ten (13%) have witnessed an accident on their way to work – not the kind of start to the day anybody would want.”  

   Despite witnessing the bad habits of their fellow commuters, one in four (27%) hope that a driver would stop to help them if they were in need, a lot less (15%) have actually pulled over to help. The main reason for continuing their commute instead of helping a fellow commuter is to avoid being put in danger (43%). With safety being top priority breakdown services can help out those in need enabling other drivers to continue their journey. Other reasons given for not stopping to help fellow commuters are not knowing how to help (27%), followed by being in a rush (27%).

3. Free Motorcycle Mini Cam Offered by Motorcycle Compensation to Protect Bikers

   Posted on 1:28pm Wednesday 27th Mar 2013

   50 free DV cams to be won as part of motorcycle compensation.com's free prize draw

   Leading motorcycle legal advice site motorcyclecompensation.com has 50 free mini DV cameras to be won as part their grand prize draw.

   Renowned for giving motorcyclists everywhere practical safety advice, the competition forms part of site's ongoing mission to protect the interests of motorcyclists everywhere and provide them with the tools they need to stay safe on Britain's busy roads.

   Entries can be made by filling in the form on the website, where riders can also find information, resources and advice on how to seek advice.

   Speaking about the competition, Colin Mahoney, MD of motorcyclecompensation.com, is keen to emphasise that beneath the fun there's a serious edge: "We're delighted to be able to offer the 50 free mini DV cameras as part of our grand prize draw.  However there's a genuine point of safety to be made here. Motorcyclists everywhere will benefit from using one of these - they're a fantastic way of recording a journey from beginning to end. By combining high-resolution video with simple controls in one compact package, bikers can capture the details of their ride - great for keeping other road users honest in the event of an incident."

   The mini DV motorcycle cam competition comes at a timely moment: March 2013 sees the launch of a £1.3 million Think! Motorcycle campaign designed to encourage other road users to be aware of riders at junctions. With 74 percent of motorcycle deaths and injuries involving another vehicle, it's more imperative than ever that riders protect themselves from other road users and fellow motorists develop greater awareness of what a journey can be like from a motorcyclist's perspective.

   As a committed biker and a long-time campaigner for improving road safety, it's a sentiment that Mahoney whole-heartedly agrees with:  "It's a shocking statistic, but despite constituting a mere 1 percent of the total road traffic, riders make up 19 percent of all fatalities out on our roads.  As an organisation we encourage any initiative that brings police, government and road users together in understanding the safety issues that face motorcyclists every time they make a journey - that's why we're delighted to see the government making fresh efforts to publicise rider safety as part of the Think! Motorcycle campaign. Despite this, we still feel there's a long way to go before motorcyclists have a level playing field. Our competition is about acknowledging this reality and arming riders with a way of conveniently documenting their ride and we heartily encourage people to make a real investment in their safety by entering via the motorcyclecompensation.com website."

   For more information, visit: www.motorcyclecompensation.com/motorbike-cam

   

4. THINK. When will you need a biker...?

   Posted on 8:54am Saturday 23rd Mar 2013

   Thousands of bikers are now emerging from winter hibernation and to coincide with the start of the biking season proper, Somerset Road Safety is launching a local Think Bike, Think Biker publicity campaign.

   The four-week long “Professionals” campaign will feature actual motorcyclists from Somerset and highlight the work that they each do for the local community, including a fire-fighter, a nurse and a doctor. The hope is that this will cause other road users to look out for moped, scooter and motorcycle riders if they can associate with a real person beneath the crash helmet.

   Head of Road Safety for Somerset, Terry Beale, explains; “Research for the Department for Transport has shown that road users who personally know bikers – as friends, relatives, or work colleagues for example, are much more likely to be respectful and watching out for motorcyclists in general. We want to remove the anonymity of motorcyclists and to try and reduce the number of collisions in which they are involved. ‘Sorry Mate, I didn’t see you’, isn’t an excuse when you put someone else in danger; nor is ‘Sorry Mate, I didn’t know you“.

   The campaign starts on the 26th of March and will use bus back advertising on Somerset roads, where higher than average numbers of collisions involving bikers have occurred in recent years. It is also timed to follow on from the national ‘Think Bike, Think Biker’ campaign that is using television, radio and outdoor media to highlight the same message.

   Free campaign posters are available to any business, college or other organisation in Somerset that wishes to display them. Please contact Jim Newman at Somerset Road Safety on (01823) 423 430 or email [email protected]

   For more information about the work of Somerset Road Safety, go to www.somersetroadsafety.org

5. What to do following an accident

   Posted on 1:23pm Thursday 28th Feb 2013

   IAM’s head of riding standards, Peter Rodger, is advising on what to do following an accident.
   
   • Check that you are safe and unharmed, and then check that of anyone else involved.
   • Be careful – it’s easy to get focussed on the accident, and forget what else might be going – be aware of the possibility of other traffic still moving around
   • If you are able, attend to anyone who is injured – if you have first aid training, great, but if not, don’t try to be a hero – dial 999 (112 will also work if you are more used to it) straight away and talk to the ambulance service.
   • Remove the ignition keys from your bike, even if you just leave it for a moment.
   • If the accident is really serious, don’t move anything (other than the ignition keys) unless absolutely necessary.
   • Don’t remove a helmet unless you have to because the person inside it isn’t breathing.
   • Get the details of any witnesses.
   • If possible, get photographic evidence to show the position of the vehicles involved, the road surface (especially any contributing defects) and any damage to other vehicles as well as your own. If you do not have a mobile phone or camera handy, you could also do a sketch of the scene.
   • Never ride away from the scene of an accident you are involved in without speaking to the other people involved or leaving your contact details. Give your name and the name of the owner of the bike (if different), address, registration number, details of any injuries and insurance company information. You should get all of this information for the other party also.
   • If you don’t get chance to exchange details – perhaps the other driver/rider didn’t stop – you must report the accident to the police straight away, which must be within 24 hours. 

   Rodger said: “Nobody wants to think about the possibility of being involved themselves, but it happens. It’s not a pleasant thought, but it’s important to be prepared in case it happens. Knowing what you must do and taking simple precautions can make things far easier and less stressful afterwards.”