North west road safety initiative RideSafe BackSafe and the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) are heralding their Rider Assessment Scheme a great success after nearly 150 motorcyclists  completed the courses.

The series of one day events were held monthly from April to October in Chorley, Lancashire and primarily appealed to full motorcycle licence holders wishing to improve their riding skills with help from advanced riding assessors. The format included an interactive theory session about the challenges that motorcyclists face as vulnerable road users and a one-to-one appraisal for every rider after an observed ride on local roads.

North west Regional Groups Co-ordinator for the IAM, Ian Marginson, explains; "Motorcyclists came to us from Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cumbria and further afield and the feedback at the end of each day was always good. 90% of riders were men, although we are seeing the number of women who take part increase steadily each year. The cost of the scheme was just £20 per person and nearly half of participants also signed up for the IAM’s ‘Skills For Life’ course to improve their riding skills even further. RideSafe BackSafe has played an integral part by promoting the scheme and making an introductory presentation about how they aim to reduce casualties on the road. It has worked really well in 2010 and we are all keen to expand this next year“.

Nearly 20% of all fatal and serious injury casualties involved in road traffic collisions are motorcyclists and yet, they make up less than one percent of all road users.                                                                                                                  

RideSafe BackSafe Spokesperson, Karen Delaney, continues; “Other road users need to ‘think bike’ and ‘think biker’, but we can also help motorcyclists directly by giving them easy and affordable access to schemes such as this to develop their riding skills and improve their well-being on the roads. We would like to continue working with the IAM in 2011 and have a few new ideas that would increase the appeal and the reach of this scheme“.

More information can be viewed at either www.ridesafebacksafe.co.uk or www.iam.org.uk

We are proud to announce the launch of AFGHAN HEROES CHARITY RIDERS.

We are overwhelmed by the support the Bikers have shown us and we want to work together to ensure that we create a National Framework of regions, operated under one National organisation.

Membership is priced at £35 per annum, as part of your initial membership you will receive a T-Shirt and Patch (pictured). Each region will have the freedom to organise events and runs, with the intention of all regions congregating annually at the Thunder Rally.

As a member you will also be entitled to a 10% discount on all Afghan Heroes events, including the Thunder Rally. Membership will run from 1st January - 31st December, and we are inviting membership now, to ensure that everybody has a chance to benefit for the Thunder Rally 2011, which will be held over the weekend 18/19/20th June 2011.

Afghan Heroes Charity Riders will have its own dedicated website. Within the website you will have access to Events, Calendar, Forum and a shop for purely biker merchandise of which you will be entitled to 10% DISCOUNT. We will be tying up with suppliers to get the best deals, for you.

You will also be entitled to 10% off all events which are organised by Afghan Heroes.

Afghan Heroes Charity Riders will also give back a percentage of your membership as a float to enable you to organise events and ride outs.

If you would like Stitch to attend with the Tour of Duty Bike, please get in touch with Stitch for his availability.

Regular Newsletters and updates will be emailed to keep you up to date with what is going on.

The official end of the summer is no longer an excuse for bikers to pack their bikes away for the winter, according to the Motor Cycle Industry Association.

 The MCI's analysis of new Government taxation data shows that more and more UK bikers are committing to the benefits of biking all year round and 122,000 more bikes were kept taxed for road use than there were in 2005 .

 The MCI is marking the end of British Summer Time ( 31st October) by reminding all year round riders how to stay safer in the months ahead:

 Winter riding presents a number of extra hazards caused by darker nights and cold, wet weather. Slippery roads and reduced visibility are two important factors riders must take into account on their journey.

 Research has shown that cold weather reduces concentration and can impair mental function and make it more difficult to complete complex task, so it is essential that riders prepare for the reduced temperatures by ensuring they have the right kit for the weather conditions. (2)

 As winter officially starts the MCI is urging all road users , not just bike riders, to act responsibly. There are some simple safety tips that will benefit all during the British winter.

 . LIGHTS - Turn your lights on before it is fully dark - but don't dazzle on high beam

 . SPEED - Reduce speed in wintery weather conditions - fog, rain and ice

 . TYRES - Always ensure adequate tread depth and pattern and correct tyre inflation.

 . MIRRORS  - Check mirrors regularly

 . TAILGATING- Give each other extra space when road conditions are poor

 . VISIBILITY - Motorcyclists can increase their visibility by wearing clothing such as a reflective jacket

 . TEMPERATURE - Invest in some special winter kit which offers better protection from the elements and will help to keep you warm and dry in the colder months

 Steve Kenward MCI's CEO commented, "Winter riding brings its own unique challenges, but a change in seasons doesn't mean you have to put your bike away".

 "In the dark mornings ahead, riders and drivers alike need to be more vigilant for everyone's safety. Drivers in particular should not be complacent about their driving style and remember that even if they themselves are warm, comfortable and focused, other road users may be finding the conditions more challenging."

 1) DfT: Vehicle Licensing and Registration Statistics ?2009

 2) Variations in Mental Performance Under Moderate Cold Stress by Sharma in the International Journal of Biometerology (1987) 

Riders on the NI Bikers Forum have highlighted an issue on our roads regarding motorcycles.

This time it considers certain Traffic Light Loop Sensors which are embedded in the road surface. Riders report that the sensors are not triggering the traffic lights during time periods when traffic is light or late at night & early in the morning.

This is forcing riders to either “take a chance” to go through the red light; use various means of approach to traffic lights to try and activate the sensors or wait for a car to turn up to trigger the sensors.

Previously, advice was sought from the PSNI and although sympathetic that it was frustrating to be stuck at traffic lights for long periods while they remain red, stated that it would be illegal to jump the lights and the rider could be liable for prosecution.

However at Right To Ride we say don’t get frustrated, there is a way to solve this and that is to report the fault on the Roads Service “Report A Fault” online.

Does reporting a fault work?  Well one rider reports, “I used this link you provided last night and got this response: “The sensitivity of the detection has been increased. This problem should now be resolved. If you are still having difficulties please let us know. Thanks for passing on this information.”

The rider also received a separate pdf format response from a different person in the roads service saying they will issue a reply by 10th Nov.

www.righttoride.co.uk