BERLIN: In order to reduce the risk of fatal accidents, motorcyclists should keep significantly longer distances from others when riding in groups, according to a German insurance research expert.
After evaluating several hundred accident reports, Siegfried Brockmann, head of the German Insurers Accident Research (UDV), found that lack of a safe distance was a primary cause of accident for bike groups.
Although only 15 per cent of the 2,345 serious accidents that happened on German roads in 2018 occurred while driving in groups, Brockmann insists that bikers can do more to protect themselves.
"Major accident creators are not cars, but motorcyclists in the opposite lane or their own group. Driving manoeuvrers such as braking and changes in direction are perceived too late," said Brockmann.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, 619 motorcyclists died in road traffic incidents in 2018 and 20,480 were seriously injured.
More sobering is the research regarding the effectiveness of protective clothing, as motorcyclists do not seem to have benefited from the general progress in road safety.
For example, the usual protective clothing worn by motorcyclists does not prevent life-threatening injuries when colliding with an obstacle at speeds above just 25kph.
"We have to say clearly that no practicable protective clothing is able to prevent a fatal injury in the event of a collision at normal highway speed," said Brockmann.
Likewise, Brockmann warns that those sitting on top of the bike should look inward first before blaming other outside dangers as a cause for road traffic accidents.
With two-thirds of all motorcyclist deaths on German country roads arising from mistakes by the rider, the expert advocates compulsory safety training for all riders.
