MINISTRY OF DEFENCE POLICE

‘BIKESAFE’

In partnership with the Hampshire Constabulary & Hampshire County Council (Road Safety Team) Welcome to the Ministry of Defence Police ‘Bikesafe’ web page. Our force has recently become a member of the National Police Bikesafe scheme joining our colleagues from most British Police forces to promote safe biking.

The MOD Police are now in partnership with the Hampshire Constabulary and the Hampshire County Council (Road Safety Team) in a scheme called ‘Edge44’ to provide a riding assessment to improve your riding skills and your enjoyment of biking. Initially we will be operating in the Hampshire & Isle of Wight area. The scheme is open to all Service Personnel and Civilian Support Staff Bikers. Visit the above Edge44 website for more information and to book online.

The cost is £65 but don’t forget you could use your ‘Standard Learning Credit’ allowance, which would cover 80% of this, leaving you to pay only £13. The Bikesafe initiative has successfully encouraged motorcyclists around the UK to improve their riding ability, as a result there has been a general reduction in fatal and serious injury crashes. Unfortunately the MOD has seen a dramatic increase of accidents involving a tragic loss of life of bikers in recent years.

In 2005 14 Servicemen lost their lives whilst riding privately owned motorcycles which represents 29% of the total (41) fatal off duty crashes. In 2006 that situation got worse and we lost 20 bikers, again all Servicemen. So far we have lost 5 bikers already in 2007 and the biking season for most has not even started. WO1 (SSM) John SWAIN RLC (Vehicle Accident Trend Investigator) Defence Road Safety Report 2006 : “ I have researched the circumstances of these deaths and against the current national statistics of who is to blame for motorcycle accidents (biker or other motorist), our ratio of 75% Service biker, to 25% other motorist, is higher than our civilian counterparts.

You may assume that our servicemen were young and inexperienced riders? Actually the average age was 32, with the oldest rider in their 50s.

So were they classic risk takers who got things wrong or were they unlucky on the day? In many of these accidents no other vehicles were involved with riders losing control whilst overtaking and hitting street furniture (lamp posts etc). The Coroners report will tell the complete story in the fullness of time”