Shocking Video Of Dorset Motorbike Crash Released
2 April 2014, 15:04 | Updated: 2 April 2014, 15:18
Dorset Police’s traffic officers have released a shocking video of a collision involving a motorcyclist as a warning to others.
The rider of this bike was filmed filtering along Alder Road in Poole when his motorcycle was in collision with a car coming out of a side road.
The 30-year-old, from Poole, sustained multiple injuries, including a broken leg, spinal fracture and tissue damage.. He spent three weeks in hospital. No one else was injured in the collision.
Dorset’s top traffic officer Inspector Matt Butler says:
“The motorcyclist was travelling far too fast for the road conditions, resulting in a really nasty collision.
“We have released this video as a warning to other motorcyclists. Please drive carefully and responsibly. If you don’t you too could end up with serious injuries or even killed.”
Police Constable Chris Smith, Dorset’s BikeSafe coordinator, says a number of collisions, including the one featured in the video, have involved motorcyclists failing to filter past traffic safely.
“Filtering is perfectly legal for bikers to do but only when done safely. Some recent collisions have involved riders travelling far too fast to be able to react to changes in front of them.
“The most recent case saw the rider travelling at speeds which would not even have been safe for a police bike with the lights and siren working.
“I urge all bikers when they filter to do so at a speed at which you are able to stop if anything pulls out in front of you. The motorcyclist in this video may have avoided the car had he been travelling at more appropriate speed.”
Bikers are urged to:
· Make yourself as visible as possible from the side as well as the front and rear.
· Wear a light or brightly coloured helmet and fluorescent clothing or strips.
· Put on your dipped headlights – even in good daylight.
· Be aware that other vehicle drivers may still not have seen you, or judged your distance or speed correctly, especially at junctions.
Nine motorcyclists lost their lives in collisions on Dorset’s roads between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013 and 77 suffered serious injuries. Four motorcyclists died and 92 were seriously injured in 2012.
Inspector Butler says everyone should take care on our roads:
“When you use the roads you need to be aware that there are inherent dangers.
“All road users need to take just a little more time to ensure they can react to changes in road conditions ahead of them.
“We know that last year 86 bikers were killed or seriously injured on Dorset’s roads and 96 the year before. What we must remember is that these are not just statistics - these are real people with families who have had their lives shattered.
“That is why we encourage bikers to sign up to BikeSafe which will give them the skills to be safer on the road. All motorists must make sure they take the time to look properly before pulling out of a junction and ‘Think Bike’.”
For more information visit the national BikeSafe website www.bikesafe.co.uk.