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Who are the most vulnerable and high-risk motorcyclists?
Baby boomers, or the elderly, are most at risk, according to New Zealand motorcycling legend Graeme Crosby. He noted he, himself, woefully lacks the awareness and skills to survive on NZ roads.
The former world motorcycle champion, in an article with Otago Daily Times, shared the results of a competency-based test he took with motorcycle training school Pro Rider, which he failed miserably. He highlighted the test identified him as being at risk.
He wrote: “Out on the road, my speed had insidiously crept up unnoticed on several occasions and, according to the instructor, I was not aware of my surroundings, didn’t look in the right direction, neglected my blind spots ... and the list went on. I had not had the specialist training to recognise potential threats while road riding and I could not be expected to know what I didn’t know. I could have been blindly riding into situations that could have ended my life instantly. That started me thinking seriously about just how safe the roads are on a motorcycle.”
Crosby mentioned statistics, which show that baby boomers are the most vulnerable road users, particularly on weekends – Sundays, noon-4pm.
Additionally, he urges riders to ride safely and undertake some form of specialist training, like the Accident Compensation Corporation’s (ACC) Ride Forever courses, before tackling New Zealand roads.
