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”