IN AN EFFORT to reduce motorcyclist deaths and serious injuries, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has announced a new road safety education programme. The BikeSafe scheme will see Garda motorbike officers provide training for motorcyclists in 13 centres around the country.
The number of motorcyclist deaths has risen over the past number of years. In 2018, 15 motorcyclists were killed on the roads, which went up to 16 the following year and 17 in 2020, before jumping to 22 in 2021, according to the Road Safety Authority.
Speaking at the launch at Dublin Castle this morning, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said:
“We are appealing for motorcyclists, and we’re making this offer to motorcyclists, to come forward and apply, and then have the opportunity to go through a classroom session with one of our Garda motorcyclists, and then an on-the-road session, and you’ll get feedback.
“Our ambition is to reduce road deaths and serious injuries by 50%.
So we’re on that trajectory, we just want to get there quicker.”
Harris also stressed the importance of saving motorcyclists and their families from the “huge heartache” and “huge trauma” that can result from these road incidents.
“We’ve heard about the serious injuries that happen on our roads and how devastating they can be for families and for the individuals themselves. So every one of these serious collisions that we prevent, it is a public good, it makes our roads safer.”
The BikeSafe scheme has already been a success in the UK, according to the Commissioner, who said the idea had been taken from there.
“Well in effect, what we’ve done is take the UK scheme that has been running for about the last 10 years and has been very successful in terms of its interaction with motorcyclists, and we’ve applied it here in Ireland,” Harris said.
Also speaking at the launch was Liz O’Donnell, chairperson of the RSA, who highlighted the need for drivers to be aware of motorcyclists as they are particularly vulnerable on the road.
“We’re very concerned that there has been a huge rise in the number of fatalities from motorcycles,” she said.
“23 (motorcyclists) died last year, which is a lot. When you look at the proportion of vehicles on the road, motorbikes make up 2% but in fact they represent 12% of the casualties. So that’s the figure they’re really concerned about. Already this year two motorcyclists have died on the roads.
“So this is an attempt to equip people with better training, better formal training, better skills about avoiding hazards, and about being seen on the road and increased visibility,” O’Donnell said.
Also in attendance at the launch was Dr Keith Sinnott, who is an orthopedic surgeon and a keen motorcyclist. He took part in the programme while it was being trialled in 2021 and has high praise for it.
“I thought it was fantastic, it was brilliant,” he said.
“It was one-to-one teaching with an experienced guard and it was not preachy. It’s a biker talking to a biker, giving you the experience that they have. Yes, they talk about the rules of the road but it’s how they relate to safety.”
“It’s more [about] what you need to know is a biker. They get it, they know why you’re out there and they know what’s going on. So that’s really what it was was, it was a fantastic couple of hours soaking up knowledge from somebody and you go for a ride and they give you a few tips and pointers.”
Sinnott is no stranger to the kind of injuries that can come from accidents involving motorbikes, being a surgeon, but he also has some personal experience of the dangers on the road.
He stresses the need for other drivers to pay attention to their surroundings too.
“I got knocked of my bike about six months ago. I got rear ended just coming down a hill and somebody didn’t see me, smashed into the back of me, knocked me into a car in front of me and over onto the other side of the road. Thankfully nothing was coming [the other way].
“And that was in traffic, going slowly, nobody was doing anything dangerous it was just a little bit of awareness,” he said.
In terms of the details for people who want to apply for a session, O’Donnell said there will be a fee of €45 and that the service will be available in 13 centres around the country.
The BikeSafe programme is open to all motorcycle riders who have a full driving licence and are fully insured. The website, where riders can register and book sessions, is live as of today’s launch.
The BikeSafe scheme is a good way to improve your awareness on the road, even if you are an experienced rider, according to Sinnott.
“This [programme] gives you lessons that the guards have, because they’re doing it all day, about how to spot things before they happen. So you avoid injuries, don’t come off your bike, you don’t get smashed up, you don’t bang your head.
“Or in my world, you don’t injure your spinal cord and end up paralysed or, God forbid, you don’t end up dead.”
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