Drivers urged to watch out for motorcyclists on roads

DRIVERS have been urged to look out for motorcyclists ahead of the high-risk summer period.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Síochána have issued a joint appeal to motorists to be aware of and to look out for motorcyclists, not just over this May Bank Holiday weekend but at all times.

The appeal comes as a high number of motorcyclists have died so far this year, 11 to date, with five of those deaths occurring in March.

The RSA and the gardaí said that drivers need to understand that motorcyclists have less protection in the event of a crash and, as a result, are many times more vulnerable.

The joint appeal noted that it is critical that drivers look out for motorcyclists, especially at junctions, at intersections, when turning onto a main road and when changing lanes.

Stefan Auler, regional manager for driver testing at the RSA, said that, as a keen motorcyclist, he had first-hand experience himself of the challenges motorcyclists face daily on the road.

“Visibility is often a factor in motorcycle crashes involving other vehicles,” he said.

“Because of its narrow profile, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots such as the door and roof pillars or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car, like bushes, fences, and bridges.

“Any motorcyclist will tell you of a near miss encounter or collision they’ve had with a car or van where that driver said the immortal words ‘Sorry, I just didn’t see you’,” Mr Auler said.

Garda Adrian Corcoran, of the DMR Roads Policing Unit at Dublin Castle, said that as a motorcycle enthusiast he was acutely aware of the vulnerabilities motorcyclists can encounter on the roads.

“Motorcycling is challenging and it requires very high levels of knowledge, skill, and understanding,” Garda Corcoran said.

“A good motorcycle rider needs to have a healthy respect for the motorcycle they are riding and a socially responsible attitude when using the roads.

Garda Corcoran said motorcyclists were over-represented in road death statistics, and noted that garda detection figures showed that motorcyclists represented half of the top speed detections, with many travelling in excess of 160km/h.

“It is extremely important to show restraint by reducing speed, and never, ever ride a motorcycle under the influence of an intoxicant,” he said.