| | Biker News - Regularly updated
Category: Safety & Compensation
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Many people who live in larger cities purchase motorbikes for transportation. They are much more compact and easier to use to get around the city. However, as with any vehicle in the city, parking space can be quite limited.
Also, another issue is that cities tend to have higher crime rates than less urbanized areas. What this means for a motorbike owner is higher insurance premiums. Living in a city with a motorbike poses a lot of inherent risk which affects insurance costs.
Even though motorbike insurance costs are generally higher in urban areas, there are some things that can help bring these costs down somewhat. The insurance company will want to know where you store your vehicle. They may also send an agent down to inspect the location. When a motorbike is stored in a more secure location, this can help bring the premium down a bit.
Some apartment complexes will offer storage units or offer renting of parking spaces within a covered garage. This are ideal if you own a motorbike. Secure and covered storage is the best kind to keep one’s motorbike safe. Insurance companies will offer lower premiums if this is where the motorbike will be kept.
Certain parts of a city may be more prone to crimes than other. If you absolutely must park your motorbike on the street, perhaps the section of the city in which you reside is one of the lower crime areas. This can also make a small difference in the premium amount.
If you have no other choice but to park a motorbike on the street, make sure to park in a well-lit area. It is also a good idea to park in location that has a certain amount of traffic. Also, adding a security alarm or device to secure the bike can help to keep it safe.
There are many different types of insurance available, and lots of different insurers that will offer different types of policies.
Insurers like Carole Nash offer policies for motorcycles and you can find more information about what they offer by going to their website.
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Motorcyclecompensation.com, has just released a free smartphone app, Bikers Friend, for the growing legion of motorcycle riders.
Bikers Friend provides an effortless way to document motorcycle accidents, collecting evidence that can be used for insurance purposes, and offering other support just when a biker needs it the most. Created by bikers for bikers, Bikers Friend is currently available for the Android market but is soon to be released for Apple devices as well.
"Bikers Friend is one of those apps you hope you never need," says Colin Mahoney, creator of Motorcyclecompentsation.com, "but you'll be awfully glad you have it if you ever are in an accident." Indeed, as more and more people take to the road on motorcycles, there will inevitably be more motorcycle accidents. "This free app is the best 'witness' any motorcyclist could ever have after an accident," says Mahoney. "By providing an extra layer of protection for motorcyclists, and hard proof and evidence for insurers, we make an already stressful situation a little bit easier for all involved."
Mahoney adds, "As a motorcyclist myself, I've experienced many issues with other road users. They are often very negative and even aggressive towards motorcyclists. Even if a motorcyclist observes all safety rules, accidents happen. And even if the biker wears proper protective gear, injuries can be pretty bad, and potential damage awards can be substantial. It's little wonder that insurance companies will frequently deny liability after a biker has been involved in an accident." Enter Bikers Friend, which records such data as the biker's exact location (with overlays on a Google map), the other driver's details, and so forth. There are also voice and video recording facilities, and Bikers Friend can locate and call the nearest emergency services - police, ambulance, fire department or other first responder. If the user chooses to do so, the app will send all information to Motorcyclecompensation.com for assessment. However, the app can also be used without giving motorcycle compensation.com instructions to act.
Bikers Friend is constantly being improved upon, Mahoney notes, and updates and new versions will also be free. Choosing to create Bikers Friend as a Smartphone app was an easy choice for Motorcyclecompensation.com. "There is no question that the mobile device is the fastest growing online search tool today," says Mahoney. "As millions of people worldwide migrate to Smartphone usage, the number of people who are downloading apps and browsing the web on their phone is growing at an incredibly rapid pace. It is for this reason that Motorcyclecompensation.com has made its innovative and informative app available for free to every motorcyclist worldwide. This is a UK first for sure, and possibly a worldwide first for the motorcycle fraternity and community."
Mahoney and his colleagues predict Bikers Friend will be a friend to more than just bikers and their insurers; it will also be welcomed by lawyers, who will recognize that it represents innovation and technology at its best.
Besides being an avid biker, Colin Mahoney is an Internet marketer of legal services, with over 20 years of applicable experience. Of Motorcycle compensation.com, he says, "We're still a small firm of six. But we are all experienced motorcyclists who also happen to understand law and software design." Although originally created for the UK market (Mahoney's firm is regulated in the UK by the Ministry of Justice), Bikers Friend can be used by bikers worldwide. Mahoney emphasizes that Bikers Friend is a free app, and the company intends to keep it that way. "We will never charge a single penny for this app, ever," he says.
Currently motorcyclists can download "Bikers Friend" from Google Play, and soon they will be able to download from the Apple Store as well.
The download page for the app is http://www.motorcyclecompensation.com/bikers-friend
www.motorcyclecompensation.com
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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
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Road safety charity the IAM is offering driving advice in response to the current severe weather warnings for heavy rain and wind.
• Before you set off, set your heater controls – rain makes the windows mist up in seconds. You don’t want to be fiddling with controls when you should be concentrating on the road.
• Slow down. In the rain your stopping distance should be at least doubled. Giving yourself more space helps you to avoid spray, especially when following a large vehicle.
• Keep your eyes on the road ahead and plan your driving so that you can brake, accelerate and steer smoothly – harsh manoeuvres will unbalance the car.
• Strong winds can also unsettle your car and even change your direction of travel. Grip your steering wheel firmly and be aware of the effects of the elements on other road users, particularly motorcyclists and flat-sided vehicles.
• If you have cruise control, avoid using it on wet roads – it may create problems if you start to aquaplane.
• See and be seen. Put your lights on – as a rule of thumb, whenever you need to use your wipers you should also turn your headlights on, and before overtaking put your wipers on their fastest setting. In cases of severe flooding, you should reconsider making the journey at all. If it is unavoidable, and you have to drive through deep water, the IAM recommends drivers take the following precautions:
• Drive on the highest section of the road and don't set off if a vehicle is approaching you
• Leave time and space to avoid swamping other cars and pedestrians
• If you can’t see where you are going to come out of the water, such as when approaching flooding on a bend, think twice about starting to drive into it
• In deep water never take your foot off the accelerator, as this could allow water to travel up the exhaust pipe
• Once you're out of the water, dry the brakes before you need them. The best way is to lightly apply the brake as you drive along for a few seconds, after checking nothing is following you too closely.
Rodger said: "A suddenly very wet road surface increases the chances of slipping when braking or steering, which is a problem not just for motorists, but cyclists and motorcyclists too. When driving in wet conditions remember that stopping distances will increase, and visibility will be reduced. Drop your speed and give yourself more time to slow down."
www.iam.org.uk
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IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “It is unacceptable that road deaths and serious injuries have risen for children, pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists.
“Cutting road safety education, scrapping casualty targets and cuts in council spending all suggest this isn’t a major priority. The government needs to show much greater leadership on road safety. Last year’s increase in people killed was a serious warning, but this could be the start of a trend. More must be done to get drivers to look out for vulnerable road users. We must have changes to the driving test, greater enforcement and incentives for driver training.” The latest Department for Transport road casualty statistics give the first set of figures for this year, covering January – March 2012. They show some worrying trends for vulnerable road users.
•The number of cyclist casualties rose by 10 per cent from 3,775 to 4,160.
•Cyclists killed or seriously injured increased by 13 per cent compared to the same period last year. 700 cyclists were killed or seriously injured compared to 621.
•Motorcyclists killed or seriously injured increased by 8 per cent from 1,024 to 1,110. The number of overall motorcyclist casualties rose by 7 per cent from 3,946 to 4,240 (Jan-March 2011, compared with Jan-March 2012). •The number of children killed or seriously injured in road accidents rose by 9 per cent from 522 to 570.
•The number of children killed or seriously injured as pedestrians increased from 360 to 410, a rise of 14 per cent.
Over the same period (Jan-March 2011, compared with Jan-March 2012):
•Car users Killed or seriously injured dropped by 4 per cent, from 2,227 to 2,140. The number of overall casualties among car users also dropped by 4 per cent, from 29,627 down to 28,420.
•The total number of road casualties decreased by 2 per cent from 47,235 to 46,270.
•However, the number of road users killed or seriously injured rose by 4 per cent from 47,235 to 46,270 – suggesting that increases in KSIs for vulnerable road users is having an impact on the overall KSI figure.
www.iam.org.uk
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