Bikers’ plea: Please keep your eyes open

The last week saw West Mercia Police mark the arrival of the warmer climate with the launch of their ‘Think Bike’ campaign, designed to cut down on the number of bikers killed or injured on the region’s roads.

It came after tragedy struck little over a week ago when two bikers were killed on the A41 at Crickmerry, near Market Drayton, on Sunday, March 24.

Speaking to bikers enjoying a Sunday morning cup of tea and a bite to eat at the Food Stop Café in Quatford, near Bridgnorth, bikers said they have two main concerns – car drivers and the condition of the roads.

Many of those who head to the Shropshire Hills come from across the urban West Midlands, looking for the thrill of the county’s landscape and sweeping roads.

Phil Kynnersley, aged 50, and Colin Davey, 49, have been bikers for 30 years.

Worries

The Stourbridge pair said both issues were their main worries when out on their Honda Fireblades. Phil, who works in haulage, said: “The only time I have ever come off was hitting a pothole.”

He said he was not impressed with the condition of roads in the county, describing them as “rubbish for the last 12 months”.

Colin added: “If you’re going in a straight line and you hit one then you’re okay, but on a bend it can throw you off line and you’re going to end up in hospital.”

While car drivers regularly moan about bikers flying past, for the bikers themselves cars can pose a life or death danger – particularly those drivers who are not permanently checking their surroundings.

Phil said: “Where another road joins the one you’re on, quite often cars will pull up across the junction and they are already past the white lines and you think, ‘did they even see me?’.

“You just have to expect that,” Colin added.

Phil said: “We have both done a training day with the police, and that is what they tell you, it was really useful.”

Attention

Martin Grove, a 54-year-old from Kidderminster, said his main fear is always car drivers not paying attention.

He explained that he had twice been knocked off his bike – both times in similar circumstances with drivers coming out of junctions.

He said: “There are a lot of things but if you ride enough the thing you see the most of is primarily car drivers and the lack of observation, the fact they are doing other things – on their phones, drinking coffee, smoking. I commute so I see the worst of it. First thing in the morning or last thing at night when drivers are tired is the worst.”

The Royal Enfield rider explained how he had been knocked off his bike, once as a younger man, and the last time in 2002.

The first time he escaped with no long-term injuries, but the more recent incident smashed his right wrist, causing damage and limited movement that will only get worse.

He said: “It has happened twice and they were both the exact same circumstances where you are coming to a junction, be it a cross roads or a T junction and you have the right of way.

“Drivers will stop at the junction, and will do a long look down the road, but they don’t see you if you’re closer and they just pull out. Both times that has happened to me doing 30mph, I have stared at the driver and literally been right in front of them and they are pulling out. The first time I was young so I just bounced across the carriageway. The second time in 2002 I smashed all my right wrist because it took all the impact.”

The IT worker added: “You get the same immediate response, which is “sorry mate, I didn’t see you”. Well no, they didn’t see because they didn’t look.”

Consequences

Asked what he would like car drivers to remember, Martin added: “Just that the rider could be your son, daughter, nephew, and it is about the consequences. Just slow down and don’t rush.”

Two bikers who have only taken up the hobby relatively recently are Con Robinson and Andy Richards.

Con, from Walsall, who rides a 600 Hornet, has been riding for two years, and he said the experience had changed his attitude to driving a car. He said: “I am more aware of bikers now. I move in for them, I look out for people a lot.

“You think, ‘I am going to be on the road and am I going to get hurt’, so I am thinking, ‘you don’t want to break a limb or lose a limb’.”

His message to drivers will sound familiar to anyone who has seen the recent police campaign.

He said: “It is just the normal thing, what they say on the TV, ‘think bike’!”

He added: “Bikers need to be more aware of car drivers as well.

“It is a two-way thing. The car drivers on the road, you do have these hot hatches and the Beamers and they want to use it too, so we need to be aware of what they want to do.”

Andy, 36 and from Wolverhampton, added: “Even before, I was thinking ‘I am going to start riding’, so you start to look out for them and be more aware of them out on the road.”