'Cards' on the table; Too many Motorbike Riders being killed
Motorbike Safety
According to Queensland Police, in February 2021, 13 motorcyclists died on our roads and the last thing they want is a repeat of that alarming statistic in 2022.
So, in conjunction with Port Douglas and Mossman Police, they’ve launched an awareness campaign, not only for bike riders, but motorists as well.
This is a two-pronged message because cars and bikes often don’t mix.
Port Douglas local Peter ‘Cards’ Cardilini is one biker who has given the campaign the thumbs up.
The 63-year-old former train guard and tourist wrangler on the Bally Hooley cane train is a poster boy for bike safety and he takes it very seriously. “Awareness around you is paramount’ says Cards “knowing your bike and it’s power and how you use that power is the difference between life and death’
One of the other things that is super important says Cards is bike maintenance. “People laugh at me when I put my bike up on a stand and polish it for hours, but in that time frame I check every nut and bolt to ensure its properly prepared for a ride”
Wearing the proper safety gear is also important says the local rider, as well as being in the right head space when you take the bike out on public roads. “You’ve got to be switched on, if you’re not switched on, you’re going to die”
Queensland Police have told Newsport that analysis of causal factors of motorcyclist crashes from 1 January – 29 March 2021 showed:
- Almost all (91%) of riders were male
- Half of fatalities (50%) occurred from Friday night to Sunday
- The rider was at fault in almost three quarters (73%) of crashes
- Of riders at fault, 93% of crashes involved excess speed for the conditions.
According to Police motorcycle riders of all ages should be encouraged to do these simple to reduce the risk of being involved in a crash:
- Riding to conditions
- Wearing adequate protection
- Riding safely
- Being familiar with your bike and riding according to your skill level
- Ensuring your bike is road worthy and well maintained
- Avoiding the Fatal Five factors such as speed, drink and drug driving, fatigue and distractions which can also contribute to the severity of crashes
- It is also vitally important to ride so you and your motorcycle can be seen by other road users
Vehicle drivers should always pay attention to the road and consider the following when sharing the road with other motorists including motorcycle riders:
- Always scan traffic for motorcycles, especially when changing lanes
- Use your lights in poor visibility to assist motorcyclists to see you
- Check your blind spots for riders
- Give motorcyclists plenty of room and leave at least a two second gap
Ultimately, we all have a responsibility to help make our roads a safer place in 2022 and preventing that number from continuing to grow.
For biker Cards, all of this is just common sense. “There’s never a time when I go for a ride that there isn’t an incident of some kind with a motorist. They just don’t see you half the time, so it’s got to be a two-way street and for fellow motorbike riders I ask the question, why are you in such a rush to die?”