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HAPPY BIRTHDAY BELT DRIVE BETTY!!!!! HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY - RIDE SAFE

Rider Training and Safety

How hard can it be to pass the bike test after 22 years?

28 Jan 2013

Details: Category: Rider Training and Safety; Written by MCN; Hits: 40

Bike Test I took my motorcycle test in 1989, and failed. I don’t remember much about it, except that I wasn’t confident. Days earlier my training school had told me I was terrible. I blame their standard of tuition.

At the start of lesson one, an instructor had blipped my throttle, not realising it was a twist-and-go, and gone sprawling across the car park with my bike on its side.

I do remember the examiner saying at the end of the test: “I’m sorry, Mr Farrell. You have not reached the standard required. You were in the left-hand lane turning right out of a one-way street.” READ ON

Ever wonder what we don’t like about you?

23 Jan 2013

Details: Category: Rider Training and Safety; Written by http://www.theprovince.com; Hits: 60

We’re three weeks into a brand new year and one thing that hasn’t changed with the calendar is what a majority of daily commuters think of the big transport trucks, and the men and women who drive them.

You seem to think we are always getting in your way. We Big Rig drivers are the people everyone loves to hate.

Continental Announces Voluntary Motorcycle Tire Safety Recall Program in U.S. and Canada

22 Jan 2013

Details: Category: Rider Training and Safety; Written by PR Newswire; Hits: 67

- Safety recall program on ContiMotion MC tires on Honda Gold Wing 1800 rear wheel

- Overloading and/or under-inflation may lead to loss of tire pressure

- Program involves 1,700 MC tires worldwide sold in 2011 and 2012 primarily in U.S.

FORT MILL, S.C., Jan. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Continental today announced a voluntary recall program involving approximately 1,700 motorcycle tires 180/60R16 M/C 74H ContiMotion. Market feedback indicates that under certain service conditions these tires may experience uneven wear, groove cracking and in some cases belt lift, which can lead to a loss of inflation pressure and a potential loss of control that could lead to an accident. These service conditions have been observed with Honda Gold Wing 1800 motorcycles rear tire fitment, particularly under conditions of overloading and/or under-inflation. Continental has not received any reports about accidents resulting from this condition.

The affected tires were sold in the replacement market in 2011 and 2012, primarily in the United States. Small quantities were also sold in other markets.

The tires are identified by the DOT serial numbers H60LJJE5110 through H60LJJE3811.

Continental started to notify the respective national safety authorities, such as the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on January 18, 2013.

Continental is in communication with its motorcycle tire distributors and dealers to identify consumers who purchased affected tires. Identified tire owners will be promptly notified and informed about the details of the voluntary recall program.

Consumers seeking more information, including instructions for identifying affected tires, are invited to visit Continental's Web site http://continentaltire.custhelp.com for more information.

SOURCE Continental Tire the Americas

CONTACT: Kathryn Blackwell, Vice President, Communications and Marketing, NAFTA Region, Continental Automotive, Mobile Phone For Media Use Only: +1-248-462-9114, Fax: +1-248-393-5227, Kathryn.Blackwell@continental-<wbr< a="">>corporation.com

1.6 Billion People Now Covered Globally By New or Improved Road Safety Laws

19 Jan 2013

Details: Category: Rider Training and Safety; Written by PR Newswire; Hits: 76

Bloomberg Philanthropies Releases Midway Status Report; Evaluates Global Road Safety Program Interventions

NEW YORK, Jan. 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A groundbreaking Global Road Safety Program in ten countries funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies produced results showing that 1.6 billion people are now covered by strengthened road safety laws, Mayor and philanthropistMichael R. Bloomberg announced today. The initiatives include increased seat-belt and helmet usage, reduced speed limits, drinking and driving enforcement, and improvements in road infrastructure and sustainable transport.

Bloomberg Philanthropies released its first progress report on its Global Road Safety Program, a five-year, $125 million investment to reduce preventable road traffic deaths and injuries. It is projected that at least 12,670 lives will be saved in five years based on the program's early accomplishments in target countries: Brazil, Cambodia, China, Egypt, India, Kenya, Mexico,Russia, Turkey and Vietnam.

The Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT), EMBARQ, Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP), Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHBSPH), World Bank Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF), and World Health Organization (WHO) are all partners in the Global Road Safety Program.

Each year, road traffic crashes kill 1.3 million people and between 20-50 million suffer severe injuries. By 2030, the World Health Organization estimates that road traffic fatalities will be the fifth leading cause of death globally.

"The success we have had through our road safety program is saving lives around the world, but there is still more work to be done," said Michael R. Bloomberg. "We look forward to spreading our efforts and contributing to the Decade of Action to reduce preventable road traffic deaths and injuries."

In 2010, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 in a landmark Resolution co-sponsored by 100 countries to "stabilize and then reduce" global road traffic fatalities. The Bloomberg Global Road Safety Program strives to accelerate progress on the Decade of Action. Results suggest the program initiatives are a major step forward toward global progress on road safety.

2010-2012 Bloomberg Program Highlights from 10 focus countries:

1.6 billion people now covered by new or strengthened road safety laws

13,300 police and public health officials trained on road safety interventions

Police officers are trained on enforcement of road safety laws and how to set up safe checkpoints

Health professionals are trained on trauma response

Police forces and hospital staff are trained on proper data collection

$440 million committed by governments to make road improvements

5,500 miles of high-risk roads have been assessed with improvements recommended to governments

12 media campaigns were initiated reaching 65 million people

Examples of early successes include:

Seat-Belts: Wearing a seat-belt reduces the risk of fatality among passengers in the front seat by 40-50% and 25-75% for those in the back seat. One target country where Bloomberg has been working to increase seat-belt usage is Turkey, where federal law does not require commercial or government vehicle drivers to wear seat-belts.
However, the Governor of Afyon, Turkey issued a local decree in 2012 mandating all drivers to wear seat-belts. Seat-belt usage in Afyon jumped from 4% in 2011 to 49% in 2012.

Speed: Higher speeds lead to an increased risk of a crash and greater probability that someone will be killed or seriously injured.
Following a strong social marketing campaign and increased police enforcement, speeding rates decreased from 32% in 2011 to 9% in 2012 in Dalian, China, and from 47% in 2011 to 33% in 2012 in Lipetsk, Russia.

Drinking and Driving Enforcement: Drinking and driving increases both the risk of a crash and the likelihood that a death or serious injury will occur. The risk of involvement in a crash increases significantly with a blood alcohol concentration above .04%.
In Phnom Penh, Cambodia, following a strong social media campaign and increased police enforcement, drinking and driving rates dropped from 10% in 2010 to nearly 0% in 2012.

Helmets: Wearing a helmet is the single most effective way of reducing head injuries and fatalities resulting from motorcycle crashes, as it decreases the risk of injuries by 70% and deaths by 40%.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards has recently adopted internationally recognized motorcycle helmet quality standards, another critical component of helmet wearing laws.

Bloomberg Philanthropies is committed to creating healthier, safer lives across the globe, and the road safety program focuses on 10 low-and middle-income countries that account for close to half of the 1.3 million road traffic deaths each year. Ninety percent of road traffic deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries and globally half of all deaths are among pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists.

Bloomberg's program is rooted in the belief that road traffic deaths are preventable with effective, evidence-based interventions, such as increased seat-belt and helmet use, speed reduction, and decreased drinking and driving. The program also focuses on safe sustainable urban transport – achieved by reducing car travel and moving people through safely designed mass transportation and improving high-risk roads through infrastructure improvements including widening shoulder lanes, installing medians, crosswalks and lane markings. Strategies also include support for public efforts to implement effective road safety laws, enhance professional training to enforce laws, create resources for advocacy and hard-hitting mass media campaigns.

To view the complete report from Bloomberg Philanthropies, please visit:

http://mikebloomberg.com/Bloomberg_Philanthropies_Leading_the_Worldwide_Movement_to_Improve_Road_Safety.pdf

Safer motorcycle riding with Antilock Braking System

09 Jan 2013

Details: Category: Rider Training and Safety; Written by Rushlane; Hits: 86

Safer motorcycle riding with Antilock Braking System is what can help limit incidents of accidents as it adds to two wheeler stability, and gives riders an increased control tool.

ABS

Motorcyclists face a number of risk factors which do not affect car drivers. According to the US Department of Transportation – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to experience a fatal accident on the road than those in passenger cars. 11% of all roadway accidents that occur in the US involve motorcycles. READ ON