Motorcycles have been a feature of our roads for well over a hundred years. During that time they have served as a functional mode of transport, an economical alternative to the car, a workhorse and even a lifestyle icon. Their popularity has risen and fallen in concert with a number of diverse social and economic factors. Sustained interest in motorcycling throws the advantages and disadvantages of motorcycling into sharp relief — the most obvious of the latter being safety. Although there have been several improvements to casualty rates over the last decade, riders are roughly 35 times more likely to be killed and over 50 times more likely to be seriously injured in a reported road collision than car occupants. However, it is important to remember that the functions and benefits presented by the motorcycle for over a century are still valid and valuable. A vulnerable mode of transport is not the same as being an undesirable one. In 2005 the Institute of Highway Engineers produced a set of award-winning guidelines for highways engineers and road safety professionals to encourage greater awareness of the needs of powered two-wheelers and effective interventions to improve safety. This updated version of those guidelines reflects changes in policy and advances in technology and knowledge. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting