Category: Safety & Compensation

1. 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

2. 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.”

3. Changing your motorcycle solicitor

   Posted on 10:25am Wednesday 20th Feb 2013

   The decision to change your motorcycle solicitor is never an easy one to make, but sometimes it’s for the best.

   There can be many reasons for wanting to change to motorcycle compensation:

   your emails are never returned
   your calls are never returned
   they don’t seem interested in your case
   they don’t seem interested in your case
   you feel your solicitor is not fighting your corner
   your only point of contact is their secretary
   your case gets passed around
   your worried why your case isn’t settled yet
   you think they are only interested in their costs
   you doubt their expertise, they avoid technical questions
   they are taking far too long to settle your case
   you never fully understand what they’re doing
   you are concerned that you could be getting better advice and a better overall service
   you find out that they have never ridden a motorcycle and don't understand
   you get the impression that you are just another number
   you feel fobbed off…

4. Experience counts in the drive for safer roads

   Posted on 6:59am Friday 30th Nov 2012

   Older drivers are as safe as drivers from all other age groups, according to research published today by the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists).

   Contrary to widespread belief, the study shows they have better attitudes to safety, deal with hazards better than young drivers and use experience to increase their safety margins on the road.  

   The report reveals that drivers over 75 react just as quickly as other age groups when a vehicle emerges from a side road or if the car in front brakes suddenly on a rural road.  

   Official statistics show that people over 70 make up nine per cent of drivers but six per of driver casualties.  This practical study found that where older drivers had slower reaction times, they used their experience on the road to compensate:

   •They drive at slower speeds on all occasions
   •They keep a bigger following distance than drivers from other age groups. Whilst the study found little difference in driving performance across the ages it did highlight two surprising areas of concern:  
   •Compared with other age groups, the eldest group appeared to stop short of the stop line at junctions and not look as often as others before pulling out.
   •Older drivers failed to look in their rear view mirror as much as other age groups on the motorway.  
   
   The report found that older drivers were likely to have less flexibility in neck movement and poorer vision standards but this did not translate into differences in driving performance. Neck flexibility varied widely, with some older drivers as flexible as some in the youngest group.

   The IAM believes it is important these findings are used in on-road and online assessments to ensure that older drivers understand the risks they face and what they can do to improve their driving in key areas.  
   In the light of this new report the IAM is calling for:  
   
   •A government action plan for older drivers
   •More car manufacturers considering older drivers in vehicle design
   •Greater publicity to encourage health professionals to discuss driving
   •Better information for older drivers and their families
   •Online self-assessment tools for older drivers
   •Wider availability of voluntary on-road driving assessments
   •Better partnership working at a local level  
   
   IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “The government needs to create a strategy now to deal with the ageing driving population. Older drivers, their families and friends deserve access to assessment and information to help them stay safe on the road. As well as this, car makers need to look at innovative ways to use technology to help this growing sector and the medical profession has to improve the way it delivers support and advise to keep drivers fit for the roads.”  
   
   TRL principal human factors researcher Nick Reed said: “This study for IAM using TRL’s DigiCar simulator revealed that in many of the driving scenarios tested, older drivers were typically as safe as their younger counterparts. It was notable that performance was more varied across the older participants; seemingly reflecting differences in the ageing process and highlighting how difficult it is to make judgements about driving ability based solely on age. It was pleasing to identify specific areas of concern for older drivers and perhaps to correct some common misconceptions about their driving ability.”  

   www.Iam.org.uk

5. Cars - How to Avoid Having Problems

   Posted on 11:19am Friday 23rd Nov 2012

   Even with all the required testing and verification procedures performed, problems can still appear so your car could become uncontrollable.

   Causes can range from a mere flat tyre to a serious malfunction of the car’s systems. Depending on the type of problem, the car can be hard to control.

   How to Avoid Having Problems

   You cannot control what breaks your car down. Even if you are taking it to the mechanic for regular check-ups, it does not mean that a problem cannot occur. The mechanic can miss things when he verifies your car.

   If your car shows any symptoms of any kind do not let the problem escalate. A small problem could affect other parts of the car and the damage could be much greater, and so will the costs. So if there is a problem that you are aware of, have the car checked and fixed as soon as possible.

   What to Do In Order to Regain Control of Your Car

   Depending on the situation, there are some techniques that you could apply in order to gain control of your car. The most important thing you should do, regardless of the situation, is to keep your cool. This way you will have a clearer image of what could happen and how to react to prevent major accidents.

   For example, if your car starts to skid, you could regain control over it by steering in the same direction as the car is sliding. Consider this and try to practice if you have a chance on a race circuit, but not in a parking lot. On the circuit you can see how the car behaves when taking a corner at a higher speed.

   Using the brakes is sometimes a more complicated problem. As a general rule, if your wheels are straight and you have to stop urgently, then you can push down on them. If the car is straight then the chance of skidding is smaller.

   If you find yourself in unfortunate circumstances whereby you sustain a serious injury from a car accident or are a victim of one, Express Solicitors have a team on hand to support you and your claim.