From Stuff.co.nz
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130074453/this-motorcyclist-has-lost-six-friends-in-road-accidents-he-doesnt-want-to-lose-any-more
A lot of road has passed beneath the tyres of motorbike enthusiast Richard Jamieson over the last half century.
He’s been riding ever since he was 9 years old, some 51 years ago, and describes the freedom he feels on the road as being like “one step off flying”.
And while the pursuit has given him much to celebrate – early mechanics skills, an identity, a sense of belonging – he has lost a lot, too. Six of his friends have died in motorbike accidents over the years, the first when he was still a teenager.
“In two instances, the riders had a pillion (a passenger) with them. In one case, the rider lost his life. In the other case, a pillion lost her life.
Every rider, he believes, has “a little bit of hoon in them”. Not least of all himself, he says, recalling an early incident when he rode too fast over a railway line and “left the ground”.
Jamieson was lucky enough to land on his tyres that day, however not all riders are so fortunate.
Fifty riders, on average, will lose their lives on New Zealand’s roads every year, according to road toll statistics from Waka Kotahi.
Motorcyclists continue to be overrepresented in those numbers: about 12% of road deaths, while making up less than 4% of vehicles on the roads.
It’s the reason Jamieson is lending his voice to Motorcycle Awareness Month, first launched by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) a few years ago. The initiative serves as a timely safety reminder, at a time of year when many are riding for the first time since summer.
ACC injury prevention manager Dave Keilty? says the campaign targets riders and drivers alike.
Drivers, meanwhile, needed to become reacquainted with the sight of motorbikes on the roads, typically 50% more riders in summer than winter.
Keilty outlines some proactive precautions drivers can take.
Jamieson has a few safety tips of his own, advice he often dispenses to inexperienced and returning riders as part of a group he teaches in his spare time.
Firstly, perform regular head checks, which for a rider meant not just using their mirror, but “actually turning their head and having a look”.
Secondly, counter-steering, a concept that might seem counterintuitive at first. “It’s not about turning the handlebars in the direction you are going. It’s actually about turning the handlebars in the opposite direction to where you are going.”
His third tip was for riders to think ahead about escape routes and consider their own position on the road, checking they aren’t following too close, or “boxing themselves into a corner”.
Ultimately, Jamieson believes road safety comes down to a simple maxim: take, use, give. “Take the information that people are putting in front of you, put it into a plan by using it and give information to tell other people what you’re going to be doing.”
There is a fine line between “fright and thrill” when riding and proper road safety can make the difference, Jamieson says.
Jamieson would eventually own his own bike at age 12, a small Honda scooter that first had to be restored – a patch-up job that didn’t last long. “I broke it, and we fixed it up again. Then I broke it again, and we fixed it up again.”
Before he knew it, Jamieson was diagnosing problems and carrying out running repairs himself.
“It’s become part of my DNA. I still buy dilapidated motorbikes, do them up, and add them to my collection.”
