Bike crash victim's partner warns of speed danger


04 April 2007 09:54

The partner of a man who was killed when he lost control of his motorbike in order to avoid crashing into a bus is warning motorists to be more careful on the roads as the spring biking season gets underway.

Nicky Dods' call was also backed by road safety groups and the county council, which this week launched an awareness campaign to warn car drivers to be more bike-aware.

Martin Armour died on November 23 last year at Ilketshall St John after he came off his Triumph to avoid smashing into a bus travelling in the opposite direction.

Ms Dods, 41, a nurse in critical care at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, and mother of his one-year-old daughter Grace Armour, said: “I think car drivers needs to be made more aware of keeping an eye on other motorcyclists and there should be more emphasis placed when training motorists on the vulnerability of a two wheeled-machine.

“But I don't think much can be done to make motorbikes safer.”

She said Mr Armour, an aeronautical engineer, was an “extremely safe” driver and had never been in an accident before and added: “People don't fall off bikes without cars being involved.”

An inquest heard how Mr Armour, from Gloucester Street, appeared to drop from his bike on the A144 Bungay to Halesworth Road to avoid crashing into a bus and died from head and neck injuries and that speed was a factor.

Ms Dods said: “Drivers are much more unsafe on the roads than motorcyclists because motorists feel protected by the metal, so they are more reckless and feel less vulnerable.

“Motorcyclists and cyclists are much more cautious - they know it's a dangerous game though.”

A spokeswoman for road safety charity BRAKE said: “This is an issue which is of great concern as motorcyclists are extremely vulnerable. We are trying to get compulsory road safety education in schools.”

A road safety poster campaign to help reduce the number of motorcycle related accidents on Norfolk's major routes for motorcyclists was launched this week.

Posters reading “Think Bike" and “Overtaking?" will appear on stretches of road popular with bikers across the county for six months during the spring summer and autumn.

Nine motorcyclists died and 427 were seriously on the county's roads in 2006. In 2005 eight died and 455 were seriously injured.

So far this year there have been two deaths.

Mike Edney, casualty reduction officer at Norfolk police, said: “Motorcyclists make up one per cent of road users and yet account for 25 per cent of road deaths. Everyone needs more training on the roads once they have passed their tests.”

The House of Commons Transport Committee said motorbike accident rates had been far too high for 10 years and is trying to limit the speed of more powerful bikes.

Mel Cutting was left in intensive care after a motorbike accident in September 2005 which killed her partner Ian Hulcoop 25, a HGV technician, of New Road, Hethersett.

Norfolk Constabulary started a Safer Rider scheme in 1998 to combat the problem of motorcycle casualties.

The scheme, which is open to all motorcyclists, aims to improve the standard of motorcycling across the county and achieve a drop in casualty levels.

For more information about Safer Rider, visit www.norfolk.police.uk.

Have you lost a loved one in a motorbike accident? Email Naomi Canton at naomi.canton@archant.co.uk or telephone 01603 772418.

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