| 17 June, 2013 - Airbag Vests - How Efficient Are They - Study | #Airbag #Research #Vests #Motorcycles - Airbag vests are a hot discussion topic on most motorcycle discussion forums. There are probably as many pro-airbag bikers as there are anti-airbag bikers. Everyone has an opinion. But how efficient are these safety devices?
Basically there are two types of airbag vests; cabled and electronic. The cabled ones have a cable between your motorcycle and the airbag, and when you get an involuntary off, the cable is pulled and the air is released into the jacket turning you into the Michelin man. The electronic versions have data capturing devices installed in your motorcycle that calculates if you've had a crash, and if so, orders the jacket to inflate remotely.
So what does this mean? Which is the two is more efficient, or are any airbag vests safe? France based IFSTTAR is a research institute that analyzes technologies used in the transport industry. Thierry Serre at IFSTTAR published the results from an extensive study done between 2005 and 2009 of all types of airbag vests used in the motorcycle industry.
Summary
First, let's start with the summary. Cabled airbag vests are far less safe than electronic ones. But any airbag vest is safer than a t-shirt...........
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| 17 June, 2013 - France: Shocking Motorcycle Students Into Safety | #France #Accidents #Exams - One of France's states ("departements"), Val d'Oise, has gotten itself in its head that by shocking people they will take things more seriously.
What the local authorities have done, is take photos made by their emergency crews and made a photo book out of them. All the photos are of serious motorcycle accidents, and the books are distributed to students who are to take their motorcycle license exams.
The authorities hope that when the pupils see the terrible accidents they will take care while riding their motorcycles. What these so-called experts fail to see, is that the majority of fatal motorcycle accidents were caused by cars, not motorcycles. Maybe they should give the booklet to student car drivers?..........
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| 12 June, 2013 - CrashLight: Interesting Safety App For Motorcycle Riders | #EastSleepRide #CrashLight #App - The web site EatSleepRIDE has had a nice iPhone app for a while that is used by motorcycle riders to record their motorcycle trips and share their experiences with like-minded bikers. The app has some nicely designed features allowing you to visualize your ride through the data your smartphone has gathered. You can use it to discover new routes and share photos of your rides.
You can even check to see where your riding buddies are, and if they are close-by, go and join them. But EatSleepRIDE have recently released an in-app purchase (that's when you can activate a subset of your app by paying some money as an app "option") that is very nice and handy and more importantly, offers a good peace-of-mind.
The function is called CrashLight, and what it is, is a function that uses your smartphone's hardware to detect whether you had a motorcycle crash, and if you have, it contacts your "support" team...........
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| 6 June, 2013 - Idea: The End Of Tank-Slappers? | #Quirky #Streering #Motorcycles - Are we seeing the end of the era of tank-slappers? You know, those times when your sports motorcycle wobbles because it encounters something on the road that makes it oscillate the steering sideways, making you at best hit the fuel tank, and at worst, allows you to exit the motorcycle high, ie a highside.
Kirk Spiegel has submitted a project in Quirky that will prevent this. It is an electronic steering damper for motorcycles, that electronically senses objects (which could be a high speed maneuver) on the road that causes the oscillations, and activates the steering damping automatically and electronically...........
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| 4 June, 2013 - France: Motorcycle Sensitivity Program Greater Paris Area | #Safety #France #Motorcycles - For 15 days, in the greater Paris area, called Ile-de-France (Island of France), the local authorities will be conducting an extensive sensitivity communication program for motorcycle and other "fragile" road users (like pedestrians and cyclists).
Although 2011 and 2012 saw an improvement of the number of fatal accidents in that part of France, 326 people died in 2012. 113 of them were motorcycle riders (81 pedestrians and 17 cyclists).
To gain awareness in the general population, the local authorities are running several posters, like this one:..........
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| 3 June, 2013 - Idea: Safety Helmet Lights For After A Motorcycle Crash | #Quirky #Safety #Crash - So far we've seen several motorcycle helmet lights that make riding your bike safer, especially those lights that show your indicator and light up when hitting the brakes. But this Quirky project is slightly different.
The project has more or less the same idea of placing a LED strip on your helmet, either a stick-on or a collar you would be able to purchase, but instead (or even apart from) showing if you've pressed the indicators to turn or hitting the brakes, this project activates after you have had a crash...........
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| 24 May, 2013 - Belgium: Action For The Safety Of Motorcyclists | #Belgium #Safety #Politics - The Belgium government, in the form of the Minister of Public Works, is planning to make the Wallonne region of Belgium safer for motorcycle riders. Many bikers are killed on the roads of the French speaking part of Belgium, and to make sure the bikers understand their fragility he is installing 80 signs warning motorcycle riders of upcoming road dangers. But according to him, only 8% of accidents are caused by the road itself, 50% by the other driver and 37% by the biker.
He is printing 15,000 maps with all the danger spots in the area which will be distributed at biker events.
It's a good thing that the government is thinking about our safety but... and there is always a but... 1) instead of printing maps he should use & promote the Moto Smarty app to warn riders, and 2) instead of placing signs, how about doing something about the road itself?
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| 22 May, 2013 - Idea: Increase Your Safety With These Vololights Motorcycle Plates - Nifty! | #Safety #Vololights #Kickstarter - You'd have thought that almost anything that can increase our safety on a motorcycle has already been invented, but you'd be wrong. Two bright motorcycle riders in the USA have come up with a great safety product that will not cost you a fortune, nor hours spent installing it.
Currently a Kickstart project looking for funding (help them out by donating a few bucks), Vololights is a smartly designed product that can, and probably will, save you from being rear-ended. It has always been one of my fears when riding my motorcycle; when you decelerate your bike by just letting go of the throttle, or by downshifting, your motorcycle slows down faster than a car would, but with no warning to car drivers.
If the car driver is not paying attention, like most of them don't, your sudden deceleration will catch them by surprise, and boooom, before you know it at the very least they'll kiss your rear end. It might sound dirty to you, but it's super dangerous. Many motorcycles have found themselves in the ditch,or worse, because the car behind them didn't see them decelerating.
The Vololights is a license plate that replaces your current one...........
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| 21 May, 2013 - India: PSA - Keep Your Thoughts On The Road - Also For Motorcycles | #India #Safety #Ads - Hmmm.. interesting. Here's a public service announcement coming from India, trying to keep riders and drivers focused on the road. They've got several ads, cars and motorcycle, and in the nicely-done graphics, they show what the driver is thinking.
"Obviously" the motorcycle rider is thinking about his Girlfriend, while the car drivers are thinking about the Boss and the Husband.....
It's true, that especially when riding a motorcycle, better keep 100% of your focus on the road and not let you mind wander off.
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| 20 May, 2013 - France: Self Teaching Site On The Dangers Of Motorcycle Riding | #Safety - Here's an interesting site developed by the Prevention Routière et Assureurs Prevention, an organization for the prevention of accidents funded by insurance companies. The site, called MotoPrev (as in Motorcycle Prevention) is like a video game without the controls. It shows you how and when motorcycle accidents happen. It allows you to identify areas where you may be in danger.
There are 7 main areas, and each area loads a video (using high quality animated graphics) which you can view from either the motorcycle's point of view, satellite/above view or the car's view. There's at the end also an explanation, but it's in French (as is the whole site)...........
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| 17 May, 2013 - App: Help Others On Motorcycles Be Safe - Great Software | #iPhone #App #Dangers - We told you some 2 weeks ago about a French initiative to use crowd-sourcing to highlight road infrastructure problems. The initiative was not bad, but quite limited since it requires to you to remember where the danger spots where during a ride and then fill them in on the web later. However a much better method has been launched in Belgium for its surrounding countries (so not limited to one country) using smartphones. The approach is quite interesting, innovative and biker safe. Maybe you can lobby the developer to release the app for the rest of the world since everyone can benefit from this app.
The app is called Moto Smarty and currently works on iPhones with an Android version in test (they are looking for testers). It's the way they allow you to share your experience in bad or dangerous roads that makes this application so interesting.
Basically Moto Smarty records all hazards; potholes, manholes, fissures, slippery surfaces, bumps, dangerous curves, etc... they even warn you of speed bumps. The danger points are pointed out by other motorcycle riders (even car drivers) traveling those same roads and encountering the problem areas.
But here's where it gets interesting...........
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| 14 May, 2013 - Thailand: 3 Do Not Drink & Drive Ads - Nicely Done | #DUI #Advetisement #PSA #Thailand - Here are three nicely done anti-DUI print advertisements coming from Thailand. The images are perfect, they say it all.
I didn't realize that they had such as drinking & driving problem there. Obviously this applies to all vehicles, including motorcycles.
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| 9 May, 2013 - Video: Watch An Interesting Motorcycle PSA From C-Dot | #Video #Safety #Motorcycle - The Colorado Department of Transportation released an interesting PSA for motorcycle riders. Instead of showing blood & gore, they show blood & gore, but in this case it's not real blood & gore. They are very up-front about it. In fact, you see them apply the blood & gore on the "victim".
It's an interesting and novel way of showing what happens when you don't ride your motorcycle with the appropriate safety gear. There are also a few words from some specialists (using echoes, not to my taste) and some real and ugly crash scenes involving motorcycles...........
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| 9 May, 2013 - Spain: Government Kills Biker, Then Balks At Paying Damages | #Spain #Court #Compensation - You know that government rarely have the best interest of its citizens in mind. Usually the contrary, as long as they can get rich and/or more powerful, and when they do get caught doing something they shouldn't, or should, they pretend that it wasn't their fault. It's what has been going wrong in the world lately, and you can see that citizens are revolting against it. Enough is enough.
The latest abuse/mis-actions can be seen in Spain. Back in 2007, a Spanish motorcycle rider lost control of his motorcycle because of the potholes in the motorway. The road is that bad that when hitting one of the holes it means the biker can easily get ejected from his bike, which is what happened. This was not a city road, but a motorway, so speeds are higher, and you have less time to react.
More bad luck for the unfortunate motorcyclist, he hit the guardrail which was one of the old, and very unsafe, rails, killing the biker on the spot:..........
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| 9 May, 2013 - France: Crowd Sourcing To Highlight Road Dangers | #Safety #Facebook - Two organization that have as main goal to reduce road fatalities have launched a crowd-sourcing page within Facebook for French road users. The idea is for the road users, car and motorcycles, to highlight danger points on a map of France. The two organizations are Association Prevention Routiere and Assureurs Prevention (insurers group), and the map is called MotoMap.
Using Google Maps, you locate a danger zone you are familiar with, highlight it, tell the rest of the world what the problem is and save the point.
You can specify the category of problem area; infrastructure, motorcycle specific, dangerous curves, etc...........
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| 2 May, 2013 - Idea: Be Seen At Night On Your Motorcycle, Be Safe | #Safety - Riding your motorcycle at night means that with the few lights we've got on our rides, we're pretty much invisible for cars. Already during the day we're often invisible, but at night, with one small rear light, we might as well fix a big bullseye on our backs.
Another crowd-funding Kickstarter project that has already received ample funds is the Tracer360. The Tracer360, from Noxgear.com, is a multi-colored fiber "vest" that you can easily slip over your motorcycle jacket...........
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| 30 April, 2013 - Idea: See Through Rain While Riding Your Motorcycle | #Technology #Rain #Safety - Riding your motorcycle in rain is no fun especially at night, but the real danger is that rain makes it more difficult to see. It's like trying to see the bottom of a pool. When rain comes down in big quantities, the rain drops throw up a screen that makes our vision of what is ahead blurry. Couple with that your motorcycle's headlights illuminating the drops and you have a sure recipe for disaster.
But Intel together with Carnegie Melon University are developing technology that will enable you to see through rain (and the other forms of rain, snow and hail). They are using a camera that is stuck inside the headlight assembly, and when it detects rain, it anticipates the path the rain is taking. Since it know (more or less) where the raindrop will be, it can block out the rain drops that would normally be illuminated by your headlights..
In other words, it scrubs the rain from your field of vision, a bit like Photoshopping a fat roll from your favorite Playboy Centerfold...........
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| 24 April, 2013 - Video: Quebec PSA - It Is Easy To See A Motorcycle Rider | #PSA #Safety #Canada - Here's a very well done, excellent even, PSA for motorcycle safety. It's from the Quebec Car Insurance Organization (SAAQ) in Canada, and even though it's in French, just the visuals say enough to understand the message.
The message (said in French) is "it's easy to see a biker, except on the road".
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| 15 April, 2013 - The Most Dangerous Countries For Motorcycles In Europe | #Accident #Europe #Statistics - The roadside assistance organization in Belgium, Touring, has conducted a research on the number of deadly motorcycles accidents in Europe, and correlating them with the number of inhabitants of that country. This gives a score of the countries where you are more likely to have a fatal motorcycle accident.
I didn't manage to get much data, except for the top 4 "most dangerous countries in Europe". The number you see after the country is the number of deadly motorcycle accidents per million inhabitants...........
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| 4 April, 2013 - Real Armored Motorcycle Clothing - Bullet Proof | #Armor #Bulletproof #ATGATT - When we talk about protective clothing on our motorcycles we often talk about "armor". When an outsider hears us talking about our armor they envisage SWAT team-like clothing, or soldiers doing the rounds in Afghanistan. But in reality, motorcycle armor is usually a bit of plastic (if you're lucky it's liquid metal from D3O) with some Kevlar. That's it.
But you can go the whole hog. Columbian company "Miguel Caballero" has combined both motorcycle and personal protective clothing; bullet proof motorcycle clothing.
He should know about what is needed, living in one of the hot spots of the world with drug & political assassinations, kidnappings and many other violence that plagues that part of the world. Miguel started his clothing line because he realized that many "people" needed discreet protection. So he started making discreet & stylish bullet proof jackets, using leather on the outside, making it look like a normal jacket, not bullet stopping materials. He quickly branched out, and one of his successful lines of clothing is motorcycle gear...........
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| 2 April, 2013 - Europe: Explanation About Motorcycle Clothing Norm EN 1621-1 | #Safety #Norms #Armor - As you may know, here in Europe we "love" norms & standards. Mostly created by politicians who have nothing better to do than impose more and more rules and regulations on motorcyclists, some of these norms are meant to inform motorcycle riders about the equipment they are buying. It's a kind of "leveling the playing field" approach, so that you can purchase the right safety gear that applies to you.
Back in 1997 they came up with a standard for motorcycle armor, called the EN 1621-1 standard. It got updated in 2003 and the last update was last year. The norm is there to make sure you understand what level of protection you'll be getting with the gear. To make it "simple" to understand, they came up with a pictogram, a drawing that shows you to what levels the motorcycle armor will protect you. You'll be finding these pictograms on the clothing you'll be buying in stores. It's an European wide norm.
Here's a brief description of what the pictogram represents...........
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| 14 March, 2013 - France: Little Known Fact - All Motorcycle Helmets Require Stickers! | Here's a little fact that few people know, even those living in France. France is the only country in the world, to my knowledge, that requires all motorcycle helmets to have reflective stickers.
Officially you need four reflective stickers; front, rear and both sides. The surface of each sticker needs to be 18 cm2, and within each sticker you need to be able to draw a 40mm diameter circle, or a 12.50 cm2 rectangle with a minimum 20 mm length. The stickers should not be removable (without damaging the helmet) and remain reflective over time.
Crazy as it may sound, this is true, and if you get caught without one, you get fined €135 and they deduct 3 points from your license. So you get docked the money and points even if you motorcycle helmet itself has been properly homologated...........
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| 13 March, 2013 - Prescription Sunglasses For Motorcycle Riders From Different Brands | Wearing prescription glasses puts me at a disadvantage when riding motorcycle during the day. It's very difficult, at times impossible, to get prescription sunglasses that work well while riding a motorcycle.
The stronger your prescription, the more difficult it is to get sunglasses. Of course you can get plain sunglasses with a prescription, but they don't work well on a bike. First of all the frame is usually too big to fit properly under your helmet, and they don't wrap around your eyes, so wind will make your cry like a newborn baby.
ADS make lenses for popular sunglasses (and normal glasses) that make it possible to wear just about any sunglass while still having prescribed glasses...........
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| 5 March, 2013 - Ads: Thailand - Dead Helmet | Maybe something got lost in the translation. Or it's a cultural thing. These two print advertisemenst from the Thai Health Promotion Foundation are just plain weird.
The text reads "Ride safe, wear a helmet" but what is the image supposed to tell us? Is it that our heads are not a helmet (probably), or use helmets that are in good condition?
Your guess is as good as mine...
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| 5 March, 2013 - Smartphone Based Alcohol Breathalyzer | Here's something that might satisfy the safety nazis in France. With their new mandatory-breathalyzers-but-no-sanction-if-caught law in France, every vehicle, including foreign registered ones, will require to have a working breathalyzer onboard, but if you get caught, you'll not be fined (I know, it's stupid but that's politics for you).
The Alcohoot is a Bluetooth device that works are a breathalyzer. It pairs with your smartphone (iPhone in the beginning, Android later) and you blow into the device. The data is sent over to your phone where it is analyzed, but more smartly than the breathalyzers used by LEOs since it uses your gender, age, weight and height to correctly tell you if you should be riding your motorcycle or not...........
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| 28 February, 2013 - DWC More Dangerous Than DUI | According to a recent study in the UK, driving with a cold (DWC) is more dangerous than driving under influence (DUI). Or maybe DUI should mean Driving Under Influenza.
The study shows that reaction times when driving, or riding a motorcycle, with a cold or flu drops your reaction time by 36 milliseconds, while driving with 4 pints of beer in you, slows you down 15 milliseconds...........
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| 26 February, 2013 - Ad: Office for Victims of Violent Transit: Biker - Brazil | Interesting visual concept for this PSA from Brazil. It's for Avitran, which after some research turns out to be a traffic victim treatment center which is part of a some psychotherapy clinic in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In fact, the url above directs you to the clinic web site.
The visual is nicely done, with "death" riding behind a motorcycle rider who is not ATGATT and the text "Recklessness kills. Ride with caution and always wear safety gear".
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| 18 February, 2013 - France: ATGATT Shortly Mandatory? | It looks like the debate that is happening in some places in the world about the mandatory use of helmets on motorcycles is so minor compared to the one that France is going to have......
.... helmets are mandatory, as is the case in all other European countries, but the French want to go for the next step. Currently the next step is making it mandatory to wear gloves when riding your motorcycle. According to French and international research, gloves can reduce severe corporal accidents, and in a medical system that is in a huge deficit, any penny that can be saved is a penny that can be spent on the politician's campaigns. According to a recent study, it costs the French state €1.1 BILLION for non-lethal motorcycle (over 50cc) accidents per year.
But the next steps might solicit more emotions. The government is looking at introducing bit-by-bit new legislation regarding a sort of ATGATT law..........
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| 14 February, 2013 - Idea: Carry Stuff On Your Motorcycle And Be Safe At The Same Time | Two things we motorcycle riders always face:
1. We need to carry stuff with us, and
2. We need to be seen, especially at night
The following Kickstarter project might just help us with both. Called Halo Zero Messenger LED Bag from Rickshaw Bags as the name says, is a messenger bag that can be carried on your back, and it's equipped with a LED light strip in the back...........
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| 12 February, 2013 - Ads: 4 Safety Ads - Drinking and Driving - Wrong Place | Here are four very nicely done print advertisements from France, trying to get people to stop drinking & driving (a very difficult task for a wine producing country).
The images are nicely done, not violent, and the tag line says "Don't let alcohol drive you to the wrong place". Each ad has an object that cars and motorcycle are known to crash into when DUI.
But will it stop people from drinking & driving... I doubt it.
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| 7 February, 2013 - Rhino Tires - Never Have A Flat Tire Again | If the Fundable web site is to be believed, putting Rhino Tire inside your motorcycle tire will prev
ent it from going flat, even if you ride over several nails at the same time.
Rhino Tire is a polymer byproduct that gets sprayed inside your tire. The spray was tested on one of the cars in the Gumball 2012 rally, and according to the site, the results were outstanding. According to Rhino Tire, because the inside of the tire is lined with their product, it can withstand holes up to a quarter of an inch wide...........
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| 1 February, 2013 - The Netherlands: Lights On Motorcycle Clothing Is Illegal | We can file this under the archaic and stupid laws politicians regularly surprise us with. In The Netherlands, a country reigned by a queen king, the law states that lights are only allowed on a motorcycle.
Very simple, what it means, is what is says. Lights (those shiny things) are only allowed on a motorcycle, in other words not on the biker's clothing. So if you like to ride safely by using lights on your jacket or helmet, as some of you do, know that it's illegal in The Netherlands...........
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| 30 January, 2013 - BMW Training For US Army | It looks like the US Army has picked up some professional and knowledgeable help for training & educating their soldiers. BMW's factory rider Nate Kern has gone to Fort Bragg, North Carolina to give a seminar about motorcycle riding, safety and techniques.
It's part of an ongoing education program to make sure that the US armed forces personnel remain safe on the road back home. The 2 day seminar allowed bikers and those that want to be a biker, to familiarize themselves with riding a powerful motorcycle.
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| 16 January, 2013 - Patents: Optical Shutter Dimming Helmet Visor | Although something like this already exists on the market, in fact we've done a product review on it, this patent goes a step further. Patent #US 20120292488 A1 describes a flexible LCD screen that can get fitted on motorcycle helmets and goggles. With a light sensor placed on top of the visor, when a strong light hits it, it commands a battery to power up the LCD screen, darkening the visor in the process. The process is accomplished in milliseconds.
Like the Raleri in the review, it means that when there's a strong light, like the sun, your visor instantaneously become dark. Unlike the Raleri, it can darken your visor to different degrees, depending on how strong the light is. It's like having different sunglasses on, changing the glasses whatever the sun throws at you...........
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| 15 January, 2013 - Ad: Volkswagen Makes Our Lives Safer | It's no secret that the Chairman of Volkswagen is an ardent and passionate motorcycle rider, so much so that he decided to buy Ducati; not the motorcycle but the company. And although through history, TV commercials and print advertisements from the German manufacturer were often biased or satirical against motorcycle, in this ad they show something else.
In the new Volkswagen Touareg SUV, they're highlighting the technology that will show vehicles, in this case motorcycles, that are in the blind spots alongside the car. In other words, if the car driver uses the technology, it will permit us from being seen and not side-swapped.
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| 8 January, 2013 - Safety: Discolored Tires Show Wear and Tear | An invention that can greatly enhance our safety on the road. Discolor Tire is a patent submitted by two designers, Gao Fenglin & Zhou Buyi, that places a colored layer underneath the normal black rubber of a tire.
Once you ride your motorcycle, the rubber starts wearing down, and the more it wears down, the more unsafe the tire becomes. With Discolor Tire, the closer you come to having the replace your tires, the more orange the tires become. Simple and efficient...........
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| 5 December, 2012 - Video: Canadian PSA - Texting While Driving | Here's a very good PSA from the Canadian government. It's an educational TV commercial that shows why people didn't text while driving in the "old days".
The message is quite clear, and the French words pronounced during the ad are "Before, we didn't write text messages while driving.... there was probably a good reason".
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| 29 November, 2012 - Video: Australian Safety Ad - The Party Is Over | The Australian Traffic Accident Commission (TAC) of Victoria state is very active in the prevention of accidents and in general road safety. And like very year anywhere in the world, during the festive season, people drink and party. Drink a lot. And that leads to accidents.
TAC have put out a TV commercial addressing the drinking & diving during the silly season, and I have to say, it's very good. They've done it seriously, but with a good sense of humor by using wordplay...........
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| 23 November, 2012 - Clover’s New Airbag Motorcycle Jacket | Italian motorcycle clothing company Clover have released an all-purpose all-season motorcycle jacket with an incorporated airbag. Called Crossover Airbag, the new jacket is made out of Duratek 7 and it's rain proof. To further protect you from water, inside there's a waterproof membrane.
The airbag in the Clover Crossover jacket can be optional, i.e., you can order it without an airbag. The airbag deploys in 0.08 seconds which is very fast, and it's fully integrated inside the jacket itself. According to the commercial blurb from Clover, it's the first true 3 layer jacket with a homologated airbag...........
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| 20 November, 2012 - Ads: Australia Motorcycle Safety With Mick Doohan - Black Spots | The Australian Motor Accident Commission, MAC, have been trying hard to reduce the number of motorcycle related deaths for years, some campaigns with success, some not so. Their latest campaign is to make bikers aware of the black spots in traffic. According to none other than multi-world champion MotoGP, Mick Doohan, the biggest black spot on the road is an intersection. More than 50% of deadly accidents occur at an intersection.
To make motorcycle riders aware, MAC have released a print ad and a video. They have also dedicated a part of their web site for this purpose. The print ad is pretty weak. You need to stare at the black spot of 30 seconds, and the light blue bikers will disappear. After 30 seconds, not only did they disappear for me, but I got images of Marilyn Monroe dancing naked. Not the effect that I thought they would go after..............
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| 8 November, 2012 - New European Tire Label - Not For Motorcycles | Starting on the 1st of November 2012, Europe has a new mandatory labeling system for tires. The new label gives consumers good information about the tires they are about to purchase, and might just increase tire technology & competition between the manufacturers.
The label is divided into 3 parts;
The top left part shows you the fuel consumption of the tire. The more the tire heats up, the more fuel it uses and more more CO2 is emits.. Tires graded "A" are far more economical with fuel than tires graded "G". For a vehicles that does 36 mpg, each grade represents between 0.42 and 0.56 mph extra fuel usage.
The top right part shows the tires braking distance ability when it's wet. "A" rated tires brake better than "F" rated. The difference between an "A" and an "F" is about 18 meters.
The bottom part of the label shows you the noise the tires generate. The value is expressed in waves. One wave is twice as silent as 2 waves. The sound is measured at a constant speed of 80 kph with the engine switched off...........
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| 7 November, 2012 - GoGo Gear Armored Kevlar Hoodie - The Video | Some time ago we showed you a cool product, the armored Kevlar hoodie from GoGo Gear. As motorcycle clothing goes, it's pretty neat, since it offers protection (maybe not as much as a leather jacket, but with armor and Kevlar, it's better than normal street clothing), warmth and it looks cool.
The photos from the GoGo Gear site were good, but it doesn't really offer a good view on this nifty piece of clothing. So here's a video of Arlene Battishill, the creator of GoGo gear, showing the Kevlar hoodie.
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| 6 November, 2012 - Video: 6 Old Motorcycle Safety PSA - Part Deux | 2 weeks ago we showed you 8 PSA made in the 1950s in the UK about motorcycle road safety. These old vintage TV commercials are excellent since most of what is being said still applies today, with a few exceptions.
The last 6 video of the whole PSA still illustrate it. It's funny to hear that "sidecars the safest of all road vehicles" in those days... and that "motorcycles are safer towards children on the road than any other vehicle". And finally, something I love to hear, but don't hear that much nowadays "motorcycles always renowned for their courtesy and consideration".
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| 30 October, 2012 - Canada: Smartphone App To Block Calls and SMS While Driving | Texting and making phone calls while driving is very dangerous. Dangerous for you, but then you control it, but it's also very dangerous for others. Reading that all important text from your BFF saying "LOL", entering that one letter in the SMS, or looking up a phone number to call, all while driving, means that you are not paying attention to the road and traffic. And that is when cars crash into motorcycles.
The Quebec government in Canada have gone one step further to prevent people from doing it. They've developed an app (currently for Android only) called "Mode Conduite" that will block SMS (receiving and sending) and incoming phone calls while driving.
It's not a simple button you push to say stop SMS and incoming calls. No..........
...........Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 30 October, 2012 - France: Anti-Reflective Armband Ad - FFMC Strikes Again | First the previous government wanted all motorcycle riders (even foreign ones riding into France) to wear reflective clothing. Then, under pressure after multiple protests, they toned it down to making us wear a 150 cm2 fluorescent armband (starting the 1st of January 2013).
This law just adds to the stupidity of governments. Like a small armband will make any difference. The only bit that makes the difference is when you get caught without one... a €68 fine and 2 license points. To illustrate the stupidity, the French Association of Angry Bikers (FFMC) have released a print advertisement... I've translated the upper text, the rest is of no use....
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| 26 October, 2012 - Here Is A Road Safety Feature I Will Sign Up For | Dutch design company Studio Roosengaarde and Hejimans Infrastructure are on the path of designing super smart highways. Highways that will have built-in icons that show drivers what the road conditions are (like icicles icons for when it's freezing - see photo below), lights that go on when there are vehicles (off when there are none) and electric car & motorcycle charging lanes. But the one thing I will sign up for is...
.... glow in the dark lines on the roads...........
...........Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 25 October, 2012 - Be Seen At Night On Your Motorcycle: Torch Backpack | Overall, motorcycles are pretty small on the road, and easy to miss. That's why there are so many accidents with cars running into motorcycles because the cagers didn't see us. At night that danger is accentuated many fold. The same applies to bicycles. It's the the bicycle world that a product has been made that will make cyclists been seen in the dark, and if it applies to bicycles, it'll work very well on motorcycles.
Torch makes the Flux backpack, a waterproof backpack, big enough to carry a lot of your gear, made out of Denier Cordura Nylon, AND incorporating integrated LED lights. The LED lights can be set to steady or flashing...........
...........Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 23 October, 2012 - Videos: 8 Old Motorcycle Safety PSA - Hilarious | Here are 8 British motorcycle safety PSA, in black & white from the 1950's. On one side they're funny, on the other side, almost everything they say still applies today.
It's funny when you see these old TV commercials (made in 1954) since they use more or less the same terminology and sayings we use today, like "made for bikers by bikers"...........
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| 22 October, 2012 - France: Parliament Rejects Mandatory Technical Inspection for Motorcycles | Good news for motorcycle riders living in France (and other European countries: The Netherlands, Sweden and Finland). The European Commission proposed law that would make an annual technical inspection (MOT) of motorcycles mandatory has been massively rejected by the French parliament and senate.
The French Association of Angry Bikers (FFMC) had not only been lobbying heavily against the new proposed law, but had also held massive protest rides. The interesting tidbit of this veto was that all parties - left, center and right - were against the law...........
...........Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 15 October, 2012 - Idea: Staying Safe At Night On Your Motorcycle | Here's an idea, or rather a product, that was made for bicycles but could be of us to us motorcycle riders. Bicycles are more at risk than motorcycles in the dark by being sideswiped by a car, since they have less lights (sometimes none), and are often invisible on the road.
Motorcycles are bigger, and more visible, but often enough cars edge up real close to us since they haven't really estimated the distance between us and their cage. At night, this becomes a bigger problem, and there's not much you can do about it apart from kicking the car (which is a bad idea since you'll loose your balance).
Xfire makes an interesting solution for bicycles that could be used for motorcycles..........
...........Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 10 October, 2012 - France: Motorcycle Security Tattoo Now With RFID | Most motorcycles (and cars) in France have several tattoos, usually because the insurance company makes it mandatory if you want to be insured. Some tattoos are visible (as a deterrent), some not so. If your motorcycle gets stolen and resold, the tattoo serial number allows a person (buyer, dealer, police) to find out who the real owner is, and since the tattoo is often placed on expensive bike components, selling parts of the motorcycle is complicated. It's not impossible (8 motorized two wheelers are stolen every hour in France) but it does slow down the Sunday-thief.
Now the largest motorcycle tattoo company in France, ICA, is offering an additional high-tech tattoo. They'll still place the serial number as a tattoo in strategically placed locations on your motorcycle, but now they also give you a RFID strip which you can place anywhere you want (obviously you'll want to hide it). RFID, meaning Radio Frequency IDentification..........
...........Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 9 October, 2012 - France: Government Back-pedaling On Mandatory Breathalyzer | As you may have read in the previous months, the former French government had made it a law that every vehicle (cars, motorcycles and trucks) in France, including foreign registered ones, need to have at least one approved and in good working condition breathalyzer in their possession while driving.
The new law is already in application, but the government had announced that the first fines would occur starting the 1st of November. A lot of protests have risen for this stupid and senseless law, not only from within France, but from other European countries. The main two suppliers had a field day making the breathalysers, so much so that they quickly ran out of stock, and prices went through the roof. Now, a normally €1.50 unit is selling for €10.00.
Yesterday the French government announced that the fines for not having a working unit on you will be moved from the 1st of November to the 1st of March 2013, and that a commission has been formed to study the mandatory breathalyzer law in more detail...........
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| 2 October, 2012 - Ads: CDOT - For Better Or For Worse | Here's a reasonably funny print advertisement from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), trying to get motorcycles riders to get proper training.
The image used is not bad, but I don't think the publicity will get bikers flocking to motorcycle training facilities. But it's funny enough...
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| 26 September, 2012 - Video: 3 Good Motorcycle Safety Ads From Utah | Between Colorado and Utah it's a tossup for who produces the best safety TV commercials. Both states are very active in road safety advertisements, cars and motorcycles.
The Utah Department of Safety (DPS) just released three very short TV PSAs that hit home in their simplicity and message. Very short, 15 seconds each, I particularly like the first one, since it's slogan is very good: "Body Shops Can't Repair Bodies". The second one is good too if you listen to the introduction. The last one is not bad, but less than the others.
All three commercials are divided between car and motorcycles riders need to pay attention....
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| 25 September, 2012 - Goodyear: Shortly Never Need To Inflate Your Tires Again | Good news for lazy people like me. Checking for your tire pressure is a thing that you must do on a very regular basis. Under or over tire pressure not only can cost you more petrol, but is very unsafe. But it's a hassle to check the tire pressure. Knowing myself and my laziness, I've even installed a wireless tire pressure system on my BMW, but I haven't been able to do it on the Ducati. And I usually don't check it.... bad boy!
Well, for people like me, Goodyear is coming with a solution that is heaven sent. It's a totally self-contained self-inflating tire technology called Goodyear's Air Maintenance Technology (AMT). This very smart system sits inside the tire, and is not connected in any shape to the vehicle, so no pumps, hoses or wires.
Inside the tire is a regulator system that checks the tire pressure......
......Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 25 September, 2012 - Australia: Mandatory High-Visibility Clothing Coming? | It looks like we in France (and others) aren't the only ones who will be forced to wear hi-viz gear when riding our motorcycles. In Australia, one misguided cop has gotten in his mind that he can save many of the 200 or so motorcycle related deaths per year amongst the 1.3 million riders.
He is trying to push through legislation that will force motorcycle riders to wear hi-visibility clothing, day and night. He reckons that this way, bikers will be more visible to car drivers, and therefore avoid accidents (we'll become target fixation, that's probably more like it)
On the rider side, they are totally opposed to the idea.......
.......Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 19 September, 2012 - Video: TAC - Assume The Worst In All Traffic | Quite a good safety commercial from TAC Australia for motorcycle riders. It's thought provoking due to the second part of the advertisement.
The ad shows you that you're not always safe when riding your motorcycle, and in a nice stunt accident, you can see that a crash can happen without you doing anything wrong. But what's more important are the after effects....
The ad was shown in 1997 in Australia.
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| 18 September, 2012 - App: First Aid By The Red Cross | Medical problems happen quicker than what you'd expect. Before you know it something can go wrong with anyone, and I don't mean just accidents. Many of us travel miles on our motorcycles, often with several riding buddies. Anything can go wrong, anything..
But what do you need to do when something goes wrong with one of us? One obvious problem is a crash, but apart from crashes, what do you need to do when one of your group or family has an asthma attack? Or a seizure ? Or has a diabetic emergency? Or gets burned ...broken bone... the list is very long.
If someone in your group is a doctor, you're in luck, but if no one has any medical knowledge, this FREE app can save someone's life, maybe yours. The application was made for the British Red Cross, and runs on iPhone, Android and Blackberry........
..........Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 17 September, 2012 - Armored Hoodies - Perfect For ATGATT | For those of you, like me, who believe in ATGATT, this is a great product. The Armored Kevlar hoodie from GoGo Gear. You don't always want to ride your motorcycle with a full fledged jacket. In spring, or even fall, the weather can be nice and warm, but not warm enough to ride with a mesh jacket, and not cold enough to put on a jacket.
A hoodie that is made out of Kevlar, and has removable armor at the elbows, shoulders and back seems to me as heaven sent. The hoodie itself is made out of heavy duty cotton, while the lining in the back and in the sleeve-back is made out of Kevlar. Meaning you can protect yourself decently against road rash. The added armor will prevent bruising or worse......
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| 7 September, 2012 - Another Thing To Be Shortly Forbidden On A Motorcycle | When I ride my motorcycle, I love listening to some upbeat music. And often while riding I sing along. It's relaxing and fun, and I don't have to be bothered that people think I'm crazy (which I am), since they can't see me singing thanks to my full face helmet.
But that pleasure may just be short-lived if authorities start noticing the recent research done in Australia. According to the research, singing and driving is first of all distracting, but it also makes you a bad driver. ....
..... Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 28 August, 2012 - Ads (6x): Colorado Against Drinking and Driving Campaign | The state of Colorado (CDOT) is quite active in accident prevention of cars and motorcycle, with many campaigns to get drivers to be more sensible. Their latest, and IMHO not their best, campaign focusses on motorcycle riders and DUI.
The Amelie Company, a PR company, produced a series of advertisements for billboards, print and even beer coasters that try to get the message across that riding a motorcycle after having been drinking is a bad idea.........
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| 21 August, 2012 - Ads: Preventing People From Texting While Driving - Weird | Sometimes PSA are weird, if not scary. The Blue Hive PR agency in the UK created the following advertisements for the Brake organization (a road safety charity organization) to condition people not to text/SMS while driving their cars.
Car drivers that read their SMS/text messages while driving are a menace to everyone, especially motorcycle riders, so it's a good thing people are trying to prevent it, but these ads are just plain weird.
If you are one of these that text while driving, would you stop doing it because of these ads? I don't thing so.
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| 21 August, 2012 - Signal: More Safety Lights On Motorcycle Helmets | Suddenly several people got the idea that lights on a motorcycle helmet is a good idea, and it is. Riding a motorcycle in dense traffic can be dangerous, since our "surface" is small, and the lights on our rides are even smaller. Stop lights and indicators are really small, particularly on a sportsbike. So when you do hit the brake, or decide to turn, cars behind you may not have seen your lights.
Signal is one of the several new products that tries to address this issue. Instead of using standard LED lights, these guys use Lumigram, a new fiber-optic fabric.......
Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 6 August, 2012 - Site Temporary Suspended While We Try To Figure What To Do | After many hours of repeated downtime on this site, I'm working on a solution to get a stable environment. So I'm looking at options, and since I don't want to publish articles but then have the server go down so that no one can read them, I'm stopping all articles until such time I know what and where to go.
Hopefully I'll have more news in a day or two. So, please patience.... things are a bit awkward at this moment..... I'm lost
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| 1 August, 2012 - Video: Attack On French Road Security PSA | The French Minister of Transportation does a reasonable good job with its safety commercials for motorcycle riders here in France. Every few months they bring out a thought-provoking PSA. But not thought-provoking enough for Mehdiator.
Mehdiator is a fellow who has a bee up his bonnet about safety, and that the government is not doing enough. He makes his own PSAs, one which got a very wide audience about the crash barriers (link).
Now he is on the war path about the latest government ad -.........
...... Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 30 July, 2012 - Be Seen, Really Seen, On A Motorcycle | Sometimes you just can't be careful enough when riding your motorcycle, especially at night. We're small in size, compared to trucks and cars, and with only one light in front and back, we can easily be run over by cagers who just don't pay attention.
BikeLink hopes to remedy this situation. Through Fundable, a web site like KickStart that allows people to invest in ideas without taking an equity stake, BikeLink wants to turn their safety product into a sellable product.
BikeLink is a battery operated collar you place behind your motorcycle helmet. At night time, turn on the BikeLink, and several bright LED lights will start shining......
.....Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 26 July, 2012 - Review: Screaming Banshee - Super Loud Motorcycle Horn | Sometime ago we mentioned this Kickstart project involving the Banshee motorcycle horn. It was the idea of an enterprising person in the USA that wanted to make a proper and safe horn for motorcycles. Motorcycle horns are notorious for being lame; sounding like a duck with a severe cold.
The Banshee horn, when pressed normally, would still sound like a duck, but when pressed a bit longer, it would blow the socks off that truck driver moving into your lane because he is busy watching TV while sending a SMS to his girlfriend. The horn also will flash your high beams, so people will also know where the danger is coming from. Great idea.
Well, the good new is that the Kickstarter project got fully funded, and the horn is being manufactured and sold. To mark the occasion, Screaming Banshee LLC, the company founded for this horn, sent me a version of their horn to test out........
Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 24 July, 2012 - The Netherlands: Road Signs To Be Readable By Color-Blind | Being color-blind can be unforgiving on the road. You can "guess" the color of traffic lights by the position of the light that is on, but road signs can be a problem. Riding up on your motorcycle, you have only seconds to see the road sign, and if you are color-blind, you'll have a problem.
In The Netherlands, there are some 700,000 color blind drivers, and now the government has decided to change all the important road signs so that these people can recognize them quickly.
The problem with current road signs is that there is not enough contrast, especially for red and blue, the two main colors many color-blind people have problems with.......
.......Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 10 July, 2012 - South Africa: Great Idea! Police Confiscate Mobile Phones | This is a great idea that the police have had in Cape Town, South Africa. There, like anywhere else in the world, many motorist drive their cages while talking on their mobile phone. Distracted as they are, they are a menace to all, especially motorcycle riders.
Most countries will fine you when caught. But not in Cape Town. There the cops just take away your mobile phone, and you can come and get it back 24 hours later .....
Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 26 June, 2012 - Pay Fine For Speeding, Get Paid For Not Speeding | Most kids know the carrot and the stick approach (though many kids don't like carrots). Do something naughty and you get the stick, do something good and you get a carrot (or more likely an increase in your allowance, or at least some sweets).
But the carrot & stick approach doesn't only apply to children. According to a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study, it works great with road users; cars and motorcycles. In the study, they placed a GPS in 8 cars, which then got turned over to 50 different riders for a week. The drivers were instructed that if they kept to the speed limits, they would each be rewarded $25. But anytime a driver would go over the posted speed limit by 5 to 8 mph, they'd forfeit $0.03, and any speeding over 9 mph would cost them $0.06 (and if they got caught by the real cops, they'd not only get docked the money, but also would have to pay the real speeding ticket)........
.......Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 8 June, 2012 - Infograph: The Evolution of Motorcycle Safety In The UK | Infographs are all the fashion nowadays, so here's one that applies to us motorcycle riders. The artwork was produced for UK insurance giant Bennetts, and it shows you over time how safety has improved in the UK. They've added some other motorcycle related data to the graph, just to make it more interesting.
The graph below is linked in, embedded, so if the Bennetts site is down, you'll not see anything here.
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| 4 June, 2012 - Leatt: Cool Down On Your Motorcycle | #Leatt South African Leatt are very well known for their neck brace. It will have saved many lives in the Dakar race, where all motorcycle riders now must wear one.
But they do not only make neck braces as safety equipment. They also have a reasonably cheap vest that will cool you down when the weather is very hot. Called CoolIt Vest, the vest worn next to your skin will keep you cool for long periods of time while riding in extreme hot temperatures.
Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 4 June, 2012 - Spain: Not All Repression, Carrot and Stick Approach | It's nice to see that in a country like Spain, it's not all about repression. In most countries that have adopted a license point system, you get a capital of license points to start out with. When you do something naughty, like speeding, riding through a red light or crossing a white line, points get deducted from your existing points (or added, depending on the method used). Once you have no points left, you lose your license and you need to go to school to get it back.
If you have been ducted points, you get them back after a while, usually a year or two. That's the way the system works in most countries. But not in Spain. There they add points to your capital of points if you have been a good driver. 3 years into the points system, back in 2009, the government added 1 or 2 points to all drivers who had a clean driving license. This year, 6 years after the points system was introduced, they are adding another "free" point; a bonus point.
Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 24 May, 2012 - France: Another Excellent Motorcycle Safety Campaign - 2012 | The French government, notably the Minister of Transportation, knows how to make hard hitting safety campaigns. They have released their latest creation to the French TV and print magazines.
I'll not bother you with the print ad, since it's a bit difficult to translate, but their TV commercial/PSA is very good. Just watching it made my skin get goose bumps.
The main motto of the campaign is pretty good: "On a motorcycle, the biggest danger is to think there is none". Good start...
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| 16 May, 2012 - Video: Motorcycle Reconstruction Safety Ad - TAC | The boys & girls at the Australian Traffic Accident Commission, TAC, have been making some nicely done motorcycle safety and awareness videos. Here's their latest, and IMHO, best safety advertisement.
The graphics are very well done, as is the message. You'll see a motorcycle accident in slow-motion and in reverse. The tag line is "Slow speed will not kill you".
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| 15 May, 2012 - So You Really Want To Be Seen On Your Motorcycle? | It's a wonder that the French government has not (yet) decided to make this product mandatory for all motorcycle riders, the same way they are making hi-viz clothing mandatory.
But there are a lot of bikers out there who want to be sure they are seen, particularly at night, so this product may be of use to them. The product, called "Fibre Flare MVP" (MVP stands for Maximum Visibility Protection) is a battery powered fibre tube that is fixed to the rear of your helmet. You can mount it horizontal or vertically.
Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 27 April, 2012 - Videos: 6 x Belgium Safety Ads | Almost every country has them; motorcycle PSA focussed around safety. Motorcycle safety advertisements come in two flavors; cars need to watch out for bikes, or bikes need to watch out for everything else.
Here are 6 TV ads from Belgium of the first kind, cars need to watch out for bikers. Each commercial starts the same, a few seconds of a surreal image of a car and a motorcycle ridden by an eye. That is because the campaign is called "Eye each other", i.o.w., keep an eye out for each other. The campaign site, Go For Zero is both in French and Flemish.
After the 4 seconds of watching eyes driving vehicles, we come to the ad itself. To be honest, I'm disappointed, since the ads are pretty bland. But it does tell car drivers that they need to watch out for motorcycles, and that is a good thing. Better a bland ad than no ad. Right?
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| 24 April, 2012 - Ad: Don’t Let The Drink Drive You | < |
In a very artistic advertisement, the following print ad was made by JWT for CADD, Community Against Drunk Driving, in India.
The artwork is very well done, but as messages go, it disappears in the art. By looking at the "motorcycle", made out of body parts, you can not see what it's about. It's only when you see the bottom tag line, "Don't let the drink drive you", that you understand what it is.
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| 24 April, 2012 - Study Shows Scooters Safer Than Motorcycles | A study undertaken by the Queensland University of Technology’s Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety in Australia has determined that scooters are safer than mopeds and motorcycles.
Moped as we all know are very dangerous despite the fact that they don't go very fast. Limited to 50cc, and often limited to 50 kph, they can not go fast, but they are very mobile and dodge in and out of traffic, as do motorcycles and scooters. But mopeds are ridden by youngsters with little or no training and experience, so that if the study shows they have the biggest accident & mortality rate, it's no surprise.
But according to the Australian university study, scooters are better off than motorcycles. When they are involved in an accident, 1% of the scooter riders will die, while 3.4% of the motorcycle riders will buy the farm.
Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 23 April, 2012 - When Is ATGATT To Far? | When would you say riding motorcycle with ATGATT going to far?
Is this it??
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| 19 April, 2012 - India: Woman On Motorcycle? No Need For ATGATT | | < |
Hmmm.. strange laws in India. As a male motorcycle rider, you are required to ride your motorcycle with a helmet, but if you are female, you do not need one. In other words, females lives are much more expendable, not counting for much.
It's probably why so many women die on their roads.
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| 5 April, 2012 - Video: Safety - US Navy Style | As you may know, many of the armed forces personnel ride motorcycles, and many die on the road. All the branches of the military are trying to do something about it, and most have released safety videos for their men & women to see.
The US Navy is no exception, and this safety video highlights the ATGATT principle. Of course, it wouldn't be military if there weren't any acronyms. Obviously we know ATGATT, but PPE is new to me. This stands for Personal Protective Equipment....
You'll be glad to know that the Navy has not used up much of your tax dollars to make the video, but then, if you want to get a message across, you don't need to hire Spielberg to make the video.
Click on the headline to continue reading this story and see the video.......
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| 5 April, 2012 - To Satisfy Even The Most Strict Motorcycle Visibility Rules | France is not the only country in the world that is demanding that their motorcycle riders wear high visibility (Hi-Viz) clothing. More and more countries want their bikers to be visible on the road when they ride their motorcycles. Whether this is good or bad is another debate.
LumiGram, a company specialized in making all sorts of objects that glow in the dark (from tables to dresses), now have this glowing safety vest. It's battery operated, and it will make sure you are seen, day or night. In fact, I'd say that it might provoke an adverse reaction of cagers, that of target fixation.
Click on the headline to continue reading this story.......
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| 3 April, 2012 - Video: A Positive Motorcycle Safety Ad | You know those motorcycle safety commercials they show on TV? Anywhere in the world, you'll see them ... often brutal, usually shocking. Their main strategy is to shock you into thinking about safety, either as a car driver, but more often as a motorcycle rider.
But it doesn't need to be so. Carma in Australia are several companies and institutions that promote road safety. They have amongst others produced this motorcycle safety TV advertisement.
It's a positive one. No accidents, no motorcycles or human beings were hurt. It's nice to see a positive safety campaign for once.
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| 2 April, 2012 - Bol d’Or: 1 Biker Rest Area Cancelled Due To Police Action | One of the three Relais Calmos, the Biker rest areas, for the upcoming Bol d'Or motorcycle endurance race, has been cancelled.
The reason? Police presence last year made it impossible to organize one of the safe rest places, forcing bikers to continue their long journey towards the Magny-Cours circuit.
What is supposed to be an area for safety reasons, is going to become a danger area. That you police, and thank you French government for making our lives more dangerous.
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| 27 March, 2012 - France: Mandatory Audible White Lines | A strange law has recently passed here in France undetected, that does not have many applications, but can cause harm to motorcycle riders.
It's a law applied to statistics that have been liberally analyzed, and has so many escape clauses that it'll not be applied in many areas.
Your government at work for you, spending you money....
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| 21 March, 2012 - Ward Off Motorcycle Jackers With A Female Scream | Motorcycle jacking is something that is common all over the world. People pull you off your precious motorcycle and ride off with the bike. Not much you can do about it, but this little product might help you. The product is not meant for motorcycles, but with a little re-thinking, it could work for us.
It's a Personal Screaming Alarm, and it's a chain chain. You attach the key chain to your ignition key, the other end to your jacket (or elsewhere), and when you are pulled off you motorcycle, it pulls a pin, and the alarm starts screaming at 130 dB. The interesting thing is that it's not a typical alarm/siren sound, but the voice of a female screaming. 130 dB is very loud, and the thief will be not to comfortable with a sound that will drown out even the biggest and loudest motorcycle.
Click the headline to read more about it......
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| 16 March, 2012 - Bifocal Sunglasses For Motorcycles | While old age creeps up on us, many still have a great long distance vision, but require reading glasses to see what's on the food plate (or read a book). Which means that you have problems reading the dials on your motorcycle's dashboard.
Many of us just put on sunglasses and guess what's on the dashboard or GPS.
But Dual Eyewear have got a great solution for you, that not only allows you to see close up with sunglasses, but also make you look cool.
Click on the headline to read on......
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| 9 March, 2012 - France February 2012 Record Month For Road Safety | The numbers are in, and they are looking good, if not spectacular. In France, during the month of February 2012 the number of people who have died on the roads has dropped dramatically, a record.
During the month, 25.3% less people died in their cars and on their motorcycles. The politicians are all slapping their own backs, since the presidential elections are only a few weeks away. But IMHO, I don't think it has anything to do with politics, but more with a) weather (the coldest we've had in a very long time) and b) the price of gasoline.
Click on headline to continue reading......
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| 28 February, 2012 - Ads: Utah - Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over | Here are three interesting PSA advertisements from the Utah Department of Highway Safety, urging you not to drink & drive. As visuals go, they are very good and powerful, it says it all in one visual.
Ads were made by R&R Partners, and clearly show what will happen if you do drink....
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| 21 February, 2012 - Ads: The Road Is No Place To Socialize | This is a PSA that is not targeted at motorcycle riders but should, if it works, provide some more protection for us. The three advertisements come to us from Dubai, made by Livingroom, and try to get car drivers there to stop using social media when driving.
It's an increasing problem worldwide, not just in Dubai, where cagers are using Twiiter, Facebook and/or BBM, with all the disastrous consequences.
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| 21 February, 2012 - Learn To Wheelie The Easy And Safe Way | Many bikers dream of popping a wheelie on their motorcycle but are afraid to do so. It's not rocket science, but until you've done it, you are afraid to flip over.
There are many schools that will teach you how to do a wheelie, but it still involves some risk of flipping the motorcycle.
The easy way, and definitely the safest way, is to use a wheelie machine; a simulator of sorts. The machine is a trailer with a moving belt, motorcycle attachments and a rope tied to the front wheel.
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| 15 February, 2012 - The Netherlands: Highest Speeding Fines In The Area | After a study done by radio/TV organization RTL of several European countries, it was determined that The Netherlands was charging the most for speeding, despite being a small country, or maybe because of it.
The study analyzed speeding fines for Spain, France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg. For example, if you are speeding 15 kph over the limit on your motorcycle in The Netherlands, you will be fined €110, for the same offence in Germany it'll cost you €20 and in France €45.
While in 2006, fines in The Netherlands were still low-to-average, but since then fines have risen 66% which is definitely more than inflation.
According to officials, the increase in fines is to deter speeding, but then we all know that is not true... it's all about money.
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| 13 February, 2012 - UK: Study Shows Speed Cameras Have No Affect On Safety | After a study done in the UK in one area of the country, it was determined that speed radars cameras have no or very little affect on accident son the road, neither for cars or motorcycles.
On average, accidents dropped 0.2% after a speed camera was installed. So why are they there? ... You know the answer.
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| 23 January, 2012 - France: Shocking Road Safety Campaign - As Long As... | The French Minister of Transportation, the road safety commission, are known to have produced several high quality, high hitting, safety campaigns. Many have been produced with strong messages and visuals that hit home. They do make you think...
They have released a new TV commercial that will be shown on several TV stations in France with very strong images. The campaign in is Black & White (probably to spare you with a lot of red color).
There is only one part with a motorcycle, actually a scooter, and the accident is not his fault, but a truck running a red light. Jeez, I hope this was a trick shot, and not a real accident....
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| 11 January, 2012 - Ad: Utah Safety - Eye Chart - Watch For Motorcycles | Nice safety advertisement from the Utah Highway Safety Office.
The PSA is targetted at cars and trucks, to remind them to keep a watch-out for motorcycles. The nice idea is to use an eye chart, reminding them that a motorcycle is small, and at a distance iit even looks smaller.
I wonder if it'll work??
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| 5 January, 2012 - Ireland: Record Low Death Toll On Roads | Irish road users have been behaving! Since road mortality figures are kept (1959), the number of people who have died on the Irish roads is at its lowest, ever.
Motorcycle riders are in the group that does not change, but car accident related deaths are way down. Surprisingly, the 2nd highest death rate is that of pedestrians. Better off on a motorcycle.
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| 3 January, 2012 - Incredibly Loud Horn Coming: Banshee Horn | We all know that the horn on our motorcycle sucks. It sound like a duck with a severe cold. But replacing it with a high decibel horn can be problematic when you just require someone's attention. You don't want it to sound like the heaven is coming down on them.
The Banshee Horn might just be the solution. Small tap on the horn button, and you get your normal horn sound. A stronger push, and 135 dB of sound will hit around you. Plus, the high beam will start flashing.
Have a look at the video demonstration..
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| 15 December, 2011 - France: Campaign Against Souping Up Mopeds | If there's one thing that bothers the daylights out of me are teenagers racing around on souped up mopeds. Many are 2-strokes, with their exhaust removed, and they race around town and villages, often with their helmets loose on their heads. ... and the noise is ear splitting.
Many of these kids get involved in accidents, often with terrible life-long consequences. Mopeds are limited in horsepower and speed, but what the teenagers do is modify the engine to give them more speed. The first thing they do is remove the exhaust, often put in a bigger carburetor, and the more mechanically inclined, rebuild the engine.
According to the statistics from the French government, 37 teenagers are involved in bad accidents daily. On top of that, they not only face a fine of €135, but in case of an accident, the insurance will not pay up if the moped has been modified. So the parents are out of pocket, often for a lifetime.
To try to change their mindsets, the government had recently launched a publicity campaign. The photo below is exactly the way these kids ride their mopeds, trying to keep down wind resistance.
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| 13 December, 2011 - Ads: Drink and Drive Australia | Getting people to not drink & drive, whether it's with a car, motorcycle or truck, is difficult enough. Getting advertisements that will make people think before turning the ignition key of their vehicle after a few drinks is very difficult; in fact it's a real art.
Ads that make people think need to send an instant message to their brains, and to do that, you require a certain creativity. Unfortunately, these two TAC ads lack that. It's not a message that will make you think "hmmmm, let me get a taxi".
The art work is nice, but honestly, would that stop you from getting on your motorcycle after a few margaritas?
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| 9 December, 2011 - Xmas2011: Motorcycle Tire Pressure Gauge Key Chain | As motorcycle riders, we know very well why keeping your motorcycle tires correctly inflated is not only smart economically (since it saves gasoline), but more importantly, it's a lot safer.
Ideally, you should check your tire pressure every day, since pressure vary depending on the outside temperature, and badly inflated tires can cause serious accidents.
Here's a great Christmas gift for any motorcycle rider. Motoress's tire pressure gauge on a key chain! You can never forget the tire pressure gauge if you put your motorcycle's ignition key on it.
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| 7 December, 2011 - WTF of the Week: Motorcycle Cage Patent | Sometimes you got to think what people want, but sometimes you over think. That's the case with this recently filed patent....
It's a patent for a cage around a motorcycle! The cage "protects" the rider, and to ensure that the rider stays in the cage, she/he is attached via a harness (shoulder and seat).
I think you'd be better off in a real cage...
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| 6 December, 2011 - Ads: Goodyear - Do Not Break The Vase | | Here's a nice and a so-so print advertisement from Goodyear tires made in Brazil.
The first one speaks to me, showing you why a Goodyear tire will keep you in your trajectory without hitting the vases. The second one is like the first, but doesn't really speak to me. Made by the Y&R PR agency in Brazil.
Clever images though...
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| 5 December, 2011 - Know You Alcohol Riding Limits! There Is An App For That | Knowing whether you are at the legal limit to ride your motorcycle is quite easy if you have this app.
Made by the French insurance company MAAF, it'll ask you a few questions, and then tell you if you can get on your motorcycle. Available for a large variety of smartphone, and on their web site.
Or you could just blow into your mobile phone, and it'll tell you you're drunk (or you need mints).
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| 30 November, 2011 - Seeing What Is Behind You On A Motorcycle | We all know by know that motorcycle mirrors don't show the whole picture. How many pucker moments have we had when overtaking, to find out that some crazed cager has crept up behind us?
Here's a product that might help your safety, and it's not a machine gun. A centrally mounted mirror with 180° visibility. It's called Riderscan.
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| 21 November, 2011 - New York: Judge Approves Discrimination Against Motorcycles | A judge has decreed that the New York police are allowed to discriminate against motorcycle riders.
It's in our own interest! And then they wonder why judges, politicians and cops are so unpopular.
Time for judges and cops to get their collective heads out of each other's asses.
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| 21 November, 2011 - France: 1 Biker Tries To Get Rid Of Crash Barrier Guillotines | One biker here in France is trying hard to get the government to do something about the deadly crash barriers. His name is Mehdiator, and he's produced photos and 14 videos explaining why they are so deadly.
When you fall off your motorcycle and you slide towards a crash barrier, you stand a very big chance of losing your head and limbs. The government knows this, but the adding of an extra barrier at the bottom costs money, and they don't really want to spend it on bikers.
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| 19 October, 2011 - European Motorcyclists Say NO To Mandatory Technical Inspections | FEMA has handed over a petition with 110,000 signatures to try to stop the mandatory technical inspections on motorcycles.
Statistics show that only 0.3% of all accidents is due to technical failure, so it makes no sense, and will cost the motorcycle owner money.
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| 12 October, 2011 - Imbecile Wheelies With 3 Year Old On Fuel Tank | Some people should never ride a motorcycle, nor have children. This UK guy is one of them.
Speeding, dogging, riding on pavements, wheelie (small ones) - all that while you got your 3 year old on the fuel tank - and no protection whatsoever.
Here's the video...
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| 11 October, 2011 - Another Sliding Motorcycle & Biker Caught On Radar | Second time we see this happening. A motorcycle rider gets ejected from his motorcycle just before a speed radar takes a photo of him speeding.
Last one was in the Netherlands, this time it's in Switzerland. But unlike the Dutch one, this Swiss one is going to be fined.
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| 20 September, 2011 - Safety: Do Not Drink and Drive - Great Ad! | Sometimes it's not easy to get a safety message across, specially when it concerns drinking & driving. But the Lowe GGK Agency in Austria did a pretty good job with this safety advertisement....
They liken drinking & driving to Russian roulette.... can't think of a better way to show the dangers of drinking. Especially on a motorcycle..
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| 19 September, 2011 - Study: DRL Saves Lives! But Not Motorcyclist Ones | Using badly done research (so called scientific), the Dutch National Road Safety Research Institute is calling for all cars to use Daylight Running Lights (DRL).
Though the research was not done by them, they say the study shows that in fact if cars use DRL, and motorcycles as well (which is mandatory already), motorcycles will be safer.
Yeah right... on what planet?
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| 8 September, 2011 - Spain: Motorcycle Riding Exam - The Diagram | Despite the European Commission trying to regulate motorcycle license exams, and failing, Spain has gone its own way.
Here's a diagram showing you what you need to be able to do to take your motorcycle exam. And that's only a small part of it.
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| 6 September, 2011 - Electronic Earplugs. Has The Time Come? | Has the time come for very small noise cancelling electric earplugs that can be used for riding motorcycle?
It looks like this device fits the bill. Insert it in your ear, and any noise above a certain noise level is blocked. And if you're deaf already, it can also amplify conversations at the same time. Nifty.
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| 30 August, 2011 - Ad: Lose Your Licence and You’re Screwed | Nice print and TV commercial promoting safety for young driver and riders. Using some strong words, the Motor Accident Commission of South Australia reminds you what will happen when you lose your motorcycle (or car) license...
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| 23 August, 2011 - Ad: Romanian Motorcycle Safety | Motorcycle safety advertisements can be found almost anywhere, and Romania is no exception. Here's a print ad from the Romanian Traffic Police, urging motorcycle riders to keep their headlights on during the day so that they remain visible in traffic.
Not exactly an imposing commercial, but it does the trick.
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| 15 August, 2011 - Be *REALLY* Seen At Night On Your Motorcycle | Being seen on your motorcycle, especially at night, can be life saving. But is it worth it to wear one of these.....
.... Glow-In-The-Dark jeans! Yep, been seen at all times with this jeans.
Only $240..
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| 10 August, 2011 - Ad: Driving And Social Media Just Do Not Mix - Funny | An excellent safety advertisement that appeared in TopGear Magazine. It's all about texting and more importantly, social media (like FaceBook and FourSquare) while driving a car. ... something us motorcycle riders know all about.
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| 10 August, 2011 - No Wonder There Are So Many Accidents | No wonder so many text and talk on mobile phones while driving. If the government officials do it, specially those that should know better, then why wouldn't the general population?
On a motorcycle you can always spot the idiots on the phone in a car. Just see a car swerving, and you'll know they are either talking or texting.
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| 10 August, 2011 - Moto-Grip: Motorcycle Pillions Can Now Travel In Safety | Carrying a young child (or even adult) on your motorcycle can be scary, for them or for you. Myself, I nearly lost my SWMBO on a long motorcycle ride when she fell asleep and nearly keeled over.
Moto-Grip is one of several options to ensure that your pillion stays on the motorcycle.
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| 8 August, 2011 - Emergency Motorcycle Ambulance | One of the worst nightmare, being stuck in a traffic jam inside an ambulance with precious minutes draining away your life, just got solved.
A designer has created a trailer for a motorcycle that is a fully functional ambulance. With space for emergency medial equipment, a medic and the patient, the motorcycle ambulance could get through traffic faster than an normal car ambulance.
Great idea...
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| 8 August, 2011 - An Honest Government? | Well, what do you know? One government is playing an honest "game". NSW in Australia is removing speed cameras that have not shown that they save lives, but instead generate revenue.
25% of the speed cameras are being removed.
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| 28 July, 2011 - Ireland: Nice Motorcycle-Friendly Road Pillions - NOT! | When will they ever learn? Authorities on one hand are trying hard to make us behave, trying, according to them to save our lives, but on the other hand, they do everything to kill us.
Here's an example of what's happening in Ireland.
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| 7 July, 2011 - France: Hi-Viz Motorcycle Vest Confusion | Now the French government, after lots of changes, protests, discussions, wheeling & dealing, are planning to have all motorcycle and scooter riders (with engines over 125 cc) to wear hi-viz reflective armbands.
Two colors are allowed, yellow and gray, and you'll need to wear two of them, one on each arm.
Do you think it'll make any difference???
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| 6 July, 2011 - Ads: Australian Government Wants Motorcycles to Slow Down | Three print ads and 7 radio commercials from the Western Australia Government (Perth) trying to get motorcycle riders to slow down.
Some clever use of words, and in the radio ads, clever use of speeding up sound.
But will it work?
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| 1 July, 2011 - UK: New Mobile Radar Van Against Motorcycles | In the UK, the North Yorkshire police have gotten themselves a new high-tech weapon against speeding motorcycles.
It's a van, highly visible, with radar cameras all around, that can take 360°, very high definition photos, up to 1 kilometer away.
From the 36 people who died on their roads last year, 22 were motorcycle riders, and 24% of them died because of speeding.
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| 29 June, 2011 - UK: Want To Get Your Motorcycle License? Dress Appropriately | Starting the 1st of July 2011, the UK's agency that tests you for your motorcycle license, the Driving Standards Agency, will refuse candidates who do not have appropriate motorcycle clothing.
They've issued a list of what you must haven and what they will refuse, like no sneakers...
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| 29 June, 2011 - Eight European Countries Cut Road Death By 50% | 8 countries in Europe have reduced their road deaths by 50% since 2001, saving some 100,000 lives.
Now if only they would look into saving motorcycle rider's lives seriously...
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| 28 June, 2011 - Ads: Alberta Safety Ads | Two print safety ads from Alberta trying to get motorcycle riders to ride properly and safely...
... but I think it fails.
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| 23 June, 2011 - Rocking Motorcycle Jeans - Rokker | Swiss company Rokker makes some very interesting motorcycle jeans. Using some high-tech material, the jeans regulate temperature, i.e., if it's cold and rainy, it closes, and when it's hot, it opens.
Their top of the line jeans, Revolution, offer the liquid armor d3o protection we wrote about along time ago.
Though the jeans looks perfect, the only downside is the price....
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| 21 June, 2011 - Europe: Confusion With Motorcycle Licenses | ACEM are pointing out some facts about the unified European motorcycle license that is going wrong in Europe.
What is supposed to be a uniform motorcycle training and license, is becoming chaotic, and member states are doing whatever they want to do, with some very damaging consequences.
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| 14 June, 2011 - Ad: Safety Australia Style - Wankers | Interesting road safety campaign from Down Under.
Using slang expressed in pictographs, it gets the message across....
Motorcycles riders and car drivers are targeted..
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| 10 June, 2011 - Ad: Riffel Safety Gear - Ghost | Nice print ad for Brazilian Riffel, makers of motorcycle safety gear.
Good image... a motorcycle going to heaven... or becoming a ghost.
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| 8 June, 2011 - Hot Weather? Cool Motorcycle Helmet! | Dr Sinnappoo Kanesalingam from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, has come up with an innovative utilization of textiles inside motorcycle helmets to keep our heads cool...
Using two textiles (PWAT and PCM), he can lower the temperature inside our helmets by 8 to 9 degrees Celsius.
The cooler our heads, the safer we are on our motorcycles...
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| 1 June, 2011 - French Way Of Dealing With Radar Warning Devices | Buckling under the enormous pressure from dissatisfied voters and their own elected politicians, the French government has made a few changes to the planned banning of radar location devices (such as smartphones, GPSs and dedicated radar location devices on your motorcycle).
They have found a "French" way of dealing with the problem, while still trying to maintain face....
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| 20 May, 2011 - Looking Great On A Motorcycle As A Woman | Riding a motorcycle as a woman doesn't mean you can't look good while still be protected.
Lycaon will ensure that you are protected, even you kidneys, while still looking fashionable enough to go to the Royal Wedding...
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| 20 May, 2011 - Europe: EC Tells 11 Countries To Improve Their Roads | It looks like the European Commission agrees with most of us .... it's the bad road infrastructure that kills people, not speed...
The have mandated 11 countries in the European Union to get their act together and make the roads safer! It's only been a few years that the motorcycle associations have been saying it, but who will listen to us?
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| 17 May, 2011 - India: Judge Grants 3 Year Old A Motorcycle License | Stranger than fiction? A judge in India has granted a 3 year old kid the right to ride a real motorcycle, with as only restriction, that he is not allowed to ride it on a busy road...
No wonder India has the highest death rate on the roads.
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| 11 May, 2011 - India: No Helmet ? No Petrol ! | A new order in the Northern part of India forces petrol pumps not to sell fuel to bikers on motorcycles without helmets.
But petrol stations are ignoring the order, since they loose a lot of revenue.
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| 11 May, 2011 - MotoGP Truck Kills Biker, Dangers Of Motorways For Motorcycles | This would not have happened if companies operating the motorways/autoroutes in France would place motorcycle-only toll booths next to the normal toll booths.....
At a toll booth in France, a motorcycle pulled in behind a truck, waiting to pay the toll (motorcycles are only allowed to use the manual/truck toll gate). The truck driver reversed his truck in order to take a shorter/faster toll booth, crushing the biker. The biker died.
To make things worse, the truck belonged to the MotoGP Tech3 Team. The driver has been detained for involuntary manslaughter.
It's rare, but it does happen. This is why we need our own toll booths.
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| 6 May, 2011 - Dainese Equipping Italian Police With Air Bag Vest For Giro | Dainese is equipping 15 police officers of the Italian police with a new airbag vest, the yet not available D-air Street.
The 15 cops will be using the new protective vests when escorting the famous bicycle race, the Giro.
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| 6 May, 2011 - India: Highest Number Of Road Deaths - Number 1 | India has surpassed China in the number of yearly road deaths; 1.3 MILLION PER YEAR to be exact.
A growing middle class, bad roads, and even worse habits have made it possible for India to overtake China. But China is fighting back.
Motorcycle deaths have the record within the record. 27% of the accidents are motorcycle ones.
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| 27 April, 2011 - Honda Looking At Airbags For Their Motorcycles | According to a recent patent filing, Honda is looking at providing airbags for most of its motorcycles.
Looks like Honda wasn't as crazy as we thought when the opted for airbags for their Gold Wing.
But will it work? Will people flock top buy Honda motorcycle because of its airbags?
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| 26 April, 2011 - Ads: Yamaha And The Jungle | At first glance these ads didn't do it for me. They looked lame until you read the text and look at the photo. Then I got it....in fact, I recognized two of the characters...
The three advertisements are for Yamaha Costa Rica
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| 21 April, 2011 - SafeTkick - Making Sure Your Motorcycle Does Not Fall When Parked | Dropping your motorcycle when parking is not fun, specially when your motorcycle is heavier then a car. But motorcycles do topple over when parked in grass, sand, mud or even hot asphalt. There are a couple of devices that prevent your motorcycle from falling over, and here is one of them:
The safeTkick is a simple "coaster" with a bright colored telescopic rod. Easy to place under your kickstand, and not easy to forget when riding away.
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| 21 April, 2011 - France: Government Withdraws From Motorcycle Rest Stops | The French government, like all governments, speaks with two (at least) tongues.....
On one side they are reprimanding motorcycle riders for not being safe, and on the other, they have withdrawn their financial support for the motorcycle rests tops (Relais Motard Calmos) at the big motorcycle events. In other words, give us your money because you are not safe, but keep riding without stopping, and kill yourselves.
Is there any government out there that does a proper job?
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| 18 April, 2011 - Squids Are Not All Male | Most motorcycle squids and bikers who are trying to win the annual Darwin award are male. It's a given, but then, there are still more male then female motorcycle riders out there. Maybe over time, we'll see more and more female squids arriving on the scene.
Like this one.....
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| 13 April, 2011 - Ad: French Safety - Things To Remember | On one side the French government does everything in its power to stop us from riding our motorcycles, but on the other hand, they do come out with some very good safety advertisement campaigns. You'd almost think they care....
Here's a nice ad they published a year or so ago. On the helmet you see several Post-It notes of things to watch out for or to remember
The text reads "On two wheels, let's be twice as alert".
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| 12 April, 2011 - France: Give And Take On Motorcycle Laws | Looks like political horse trading in France.
We'll finally be able to buy and ride motorcycle with more than 100 HP, but on the other hand, it's going to be mandatory to have an orange or yellow fluorescent vest.
... and there are a few more mandatory protective clothing coming up...
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| 8 April, 2011 - Ad: Taming Your Ride - French Safety | Here in France if you've got a car license for more than 2 years, you are allowed to ride a 125cc motorcycle or scooter. But... you need to spend seven hours with a qualified instructor learning to master the two wheeler.
For that purpose, the French government had launched a campaign last year to tell newbie motorcycle riders that they needed to take some lessons.
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| 6 April, 2011 - Idea: Display Warning Sign With Your Motorcycle Helmet | A great, practical and low cost idea. Use your motorcycle helmet carry bag as warning/emergency/break down triangle sign.
Place your helmet inside the carry bag, and place it on the road. Simple. Reflective, so it can be seen at night.
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| 29 March, 2011 - Video: Excellent Vietnam Motorcycle Safety Ad | It just shows you that you don't need to have an enormous budget, stunt riders, CG and big name producers to make a good and hard hitting motorcycle safety TV spot. But that's what Oglivy in Vietnam did.
A very simple way of convincing Vietnamese motorcycle rides to use a helmet on their children. Plan ahead.....
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| 22 February, 2011 - Ad: Aviva - Phones Dangerous For Motorcycle Riders | Interesting print ad from insurance company Aviva for the prevention of mobile phone usage while driving a car.
This ad, part of a campaign, is about motorcycle (or bicycle) bikers. Smartly done.
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| 9 February, 2011 - Brazil: Government Trying To Outlaw Motorcycle Taxi | The Brazilian government is trying to legislate motorcycle taxis to such an extent that they would have to disappear.
31% of all fatal accidents in Brazil involve motorcycle, so they are deemed a "public health" problem.
Why do we have some many idiots.. and why are they almost always politicians?
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| 31 January, 2011 - Why Obeying The Speed Limit Can Kill You | And you thought that by riding your motorcycle at the speed limit was safe! Not always. June 2009, a 79 year old driver, Andrew Cavanaugh, was driving his car through an intersection in Pinellas County, Florida. The posted speed limit is 25 mph, but the red lights were timed for passing through the intersection at 30 mph.
In other words, just before the lights turn orange, you can safely cross the four lanes at 30 mph before the opposite lights turns green.
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| 14 January, 2011 - Video: Vintage Safety TV Ad - British Motorcycle Fashion | Interesting. A vintage, black & white, TV ad from the UK, promoting the use of helmets on motorcycles and scooters.
Not only do they make you safe on your motorcycle, but it's also a great fashion statement.....
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| 28 December, 2010 - Ads: Tame French Motorcycle Safety Ads | Three very tame motorcycle safety ads from the Paris area in France.
Not hard hitting, not something you need to think about... in fact very tame.
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| 16 December, 2010 - CURV - Special Motorcyclist Sunglasses | Sunglasses are something a motorcycle rider always uses. You not only look cool, but they keep the wind out of your eyes. But biker glasses are special, you can't use normal ones that the general public uses.
Here's a company, CURV, that offers for a very reasonable price special sunglasses adapted to motorcycle riders.
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| 15 November, 2010 - 50 Crashed Motorcycles + 1 Waiting To Happen | I've been pondering for a while whether to do this "list" article. I'm dead-set against rubbernecking and glaring at pictures of deadly crashes, specially those of motorcycles, but seeing crashed motorcycles is often a way to make you think a bit. And thinking and realizing that this could happen to you is actually a good thing.
Bold bikers don't live to be old, so it's a question of knowing that anything can happen out there, and to be prepared.
So here are 50 photos of motorcycles that have crashed, and one that is bound to crash shortly.
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| 22 October, 2010 - Europe: Bureaucrats Reject ABS Kill Switch For Motorcycles | The European Commission has first of all declared that all new motorcycle with more than 125cc will have mandatory ABS. Now they have rejected the notion that there will be an ABS kill-off switch!!!!!
This means that if you're riding a dual-sport or off-road bike (licensed for road), you will not be able to override the ABS. Therefore you will likely crash.
Thank you European Commission for getting rid of more bikers.
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| 12 October, 2010 - Ad: Safety Gimmick In Indonesia For Motorcyclists | A smart advertising way of preventing motorcycle riders in Indonesia from trying to make it across a railway crossing when the barriers/gates are going down.
Simply replace the gates with a giant meat cleaver! That will make you think twice...
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| 30 September, 2010 - Top Ten Tips For Riding Your Motorcycle In The Dark | Ten tips for riding your motorcycle at night by our guest blogger from Bikesure in the UK, David Wilson.
Riding motorcycle at night is more dangerous than during daytime, so it always helps to remind yourself of those little things that can save your life.
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| 29 September, 2010 - Switzerland: A Mine Field For Motorcyclists | Nice safety ad from Switzerland, made by the motorcycle association IG Motorrad.
It shows a mountain road, wet, and full of metal drain covers, making the road a real mine field for motorcyclists.
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| 28 September, 2010 - Ad: Italy - Motorcycle Safety | Three print ads from Italy for the same organization promoting motorcycle safety, all done by the same PR agency. One is "sponsored" by Ducati.
Strange print ad from Ducati motorcycles. Another one that escape me...
In a crowded drawing of a city, there's a lone Ducati motorcycle riding. The text says "You have less than a second to see the biker". The other two are more "easier to understand".
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| 21 September, 2010 - How To Survive A Motorcycle Crash | A guest post by Jordan Roberson on how to survive a motorcycle crash.
It's not what many people think about, but proper safety gear is a must when riding a motorcycle. Like it or not.
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| 23 August, 2010 - Video: Funny Drinking & Riding TV Ad | Funny drinking & riding a motorcycle TV ad, though I don't know if it's real or a spoof.
If it's funny, it usually isn't real....
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| 26 July, 2010 - Europe: FEMA Against Europe’s Motorcycle Safety Proposals | FEMA are opposed to the ridiculous recommendations made by the European Commission to make our European roads safer, specially for motorcycles.
In essence, the EC wants you to pay much more for buying your motorcycle, not allow you to put after--market stuff on it, and basically make your life as miserable as passible so that you give up motorcycle altogether, and follow the masses.
And to think we paid for that.....
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| 22 July, 2010 - Australia: Educating Motorcycle Riders On Safety | Queensland, Australia have a very good web site, run by the local authorities, full of interesting and useful information on motorcycle safety.
Detailed information about the gear you can wear, tips fro riding safely, quizzes, and a good safety video.
Education is a lot better than repression!
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| 21 July, 2010 - Safe Motorcycle Tires | Riding your motorcycle to your destination, and then switching to those nice twisties can be a danger.
Your motorcycle tires can suffer squaring-off, putting you at risk.
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| 20 July, 2010 - Night Vision On Your Motorcycle | Tag Heuer have developed special glasses that can be used at night. It's not real night vision, but it does make objects stand out more at night when riding your motorcycle.
It's been tested by the 24 Hours of Le Mans racers, both by the Peugeot cars and the Yamaha motorcycle racers.
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| 19 July, 2010 - Securing Your Motorcycle The Easy Way | Interesting motorcycle security device. Instead of bringing a big chain and lock with you to secure your motorcycle, this device fits over your handlebar grip^, and is closed with a combination lock.
It's impossible to ride away with your bike, though it can always be lifted onto a truck.
An added advantage is that you can't ride away forgetting to remove the lock...
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| 8 July, 2010 - India: Buy A New Motorcycle? You Must Buy A Helmet | By some strange law, the Supreme Court of India has ruled that in India, when you buy a new motorcycle, you MUST buy a new helmet.
Even if you already have one, or even if you want one, but the dealer doesn't have that brand, you must buy whatever the dealer supplies. If not, no new motorcycle.
Strange...
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| 11 June, 2010 - France: 4 New Motorcycle Safety TV Ads. New Campaign | The French government has come out with four new TV ads promoting motorcycle safety.
3 of the ads are targeted towards motorcycle riders, 1 towards car drivers. The ads are well done, showing you the perspective of the biker. Nice stunt work.
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| 9 June, 2010 - Video: Motorcycle Safety Alaska Style | Even the Northern most state of the USA has a motorcycle safety ad.
From Alaska, here's a more unusual, or at least different, motorcycle safety ad.
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| 8 April, 2010 - Belgium: New Safety For Motorcycle Campaign | Belgium has started a new motorcycle safety campaign, targeted towards car drivers.
The poster says "Do not loose sight of motorcycle riders".
They also have started a safety campaign targeted towards bikers.
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| 1 April, 2010 - France: They Just Do Not Get It | The French think they have come up with some motorcycle safety device on the roads, even the Prime Minister, says so, but in reality, it's of no use to us.
Their idea is a pole (that carries road signs, billboards, etc), that snaps in two when something crashes into it.
Only problem is that the "it" that crashes into it is a car, not a bike... we are too light.
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| 31 March, 2010 - ACEM: Motorcycle Protective Clothing Guideline Booklet | ACEM, Europe's motorcycle manufacturer association, have released a free downloadable booklet, in several languages, about protective clothing for motorcycle riders.
It is designed to help you in your choice of clothing, anything from jackets, trousers and helmets, to goggles and ear plugs.
They even have a section for moped riders...
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| 25 March, 2010 - UK: Motorcycle Riders Ignore Tire Safety | The TyreSafety organization is saying that motorcycle accidents caused by defective tires has increased by 28%!!!
During the mandatory technical inspection (MoT), 26,000 motorcycles fail due to bad tires!!
Here are some simple tips to help you ensure that your tires are in top shape.
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| 1 March, 2010 - UK: Another Great Motorcycle Safety Campaign | It seems that the UK have got a monopoly on great motorcycle safety TV ads.
Here's another one that is really great, and should save a life or two... hopefully!
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| 18 February, 2010 - Safety: California Sets An Example For Motorcycles | This is a good use of message signs you find on motorways, and it's California that shows you the way.
Now if other countries could please follow. It's effective and doesn't cost anything extra.
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| 27 January, 2010 - Pro-Neck-Tor: Enhanced Motorcycle Helmet Safety | The University of Columbia is working on a new type helmet that will severely reduce neck fractures in case of a violent crash.
Using a smart double shell helmet, this can save many lives. Not only motorcycles helmets, but many other sport activities can use it... football, ice hockey, skiing, bicycles.. etc.
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| 21 January, 2010 - UK: Embrace This Safety Video | It's not everyday that you get to see a great safety campaign video, and if you do, it's probably from the UK.
This one is no exception, but this time it does not have any blood, gore or shock effects. Actually, it doesn't even have a motorcycle in it (nor does it have any other vehicles).
But it's bloody well done.... Embrace This!
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| 23 November, 2009 - France: New Regional Motorcycle Safety Campaign | The state ("departement") of France called Haute-Garonne has started its own motorcycle safety campaign after the death rate on the roads for motorcycles and scooters increased.
Now, 1 out of 3 death are motorcycles and scooters.
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| 7 October, 2009 - Get Your Own Tailor-made Motorcycle Leather Suit | Here's a company in the UK that will tailor make motorcycle leather suits using the best possible materials for a reasonable price.
If you're into using leathers, then this is a great solution. You can even design your own suit, including logos....
Why would Rossi be the only one allowed to have fun with his motorcycle racing suits?
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| 2 October, 2009 - Vote For The Best MSF Slogan, Win A Prize | The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) are calling for people to vote on the top 10 best slogans for the "Motorcycles and Women" theme.
Prizes available for the 3 chosen ones. Entries close on October 15th.
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| 29 September, 2009 - Video: UK Motorcycle Safety Campaign Optical Illusion | Interesting UK safety TV ad geared towards car drivers, to make them aware of motorcycles.
In sharp contrast with current safety ads, this one does not use shock techniques (just a little), but uses a good explanation why you should "give a motorcyclist a second thought".
Very well done ad from Transport for London.
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| 28 September, 2009 - Motorcycle Helmet Lock | A simple, but effective helmet lock.
Designed for bicycles, I think this should work for motorcycles.
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| 16 September, 2009 - France: Massive Communication Campaign On Road Safety | The French government have started a massive TV campaign to prevent further road deaths.
20 TV ads, each with a specific topic, will be shown over the next few weeks.
The slogan? "Accidents Never Happen By Accident".
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| 21 July, 2009 - Europe’s Top Bad Tire Offenders | Michelin tires company has checked 50,000 cars and motorcycles in 27 countries for tire pressure, and here is what they found.
You want to take a guess which countries are the worst offenders?
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| 10 June, 2009 - Video: Semper Ride - The Marine Motorcycle Solution | The US Marine Corp are releasing a special movie about motorcycle safety. Here's the teaser.
It looks very good, very professional. Wouldn't mind watching the real version. Does that mean I need to join??
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| 2 June, 2009 - France: 8 Million Drivers/Riders Have Bad Eyesight | According to a French optician organization, 8 million, out of 20 million, rider/drivers have bad eyesight.
They are saying you should take regular eyesight tests (see photo of proposed test....). Your life on your motorcycle depends on your eyesight...
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| 14 May, 2009 - ACEM’s Lucky 13 Cartoon Going Strong | ACEM have been steadily releasing their motorcycle safety cartoon character, Lucky 13, since last fall.
They have reached their 6th edition now, and it's worth your while to have a look.
At the very least, you'll get a snicker or two.
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| 4 May, 2009 - Utah Motorcycle Safety Campaigns | The state of Utah, USA has some interesting, if not funny, safety slogans and posters for motorcycle riders.
At first glance, they're funny, but they do make you think... Here are five slogans!
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| 1 May, 2009 - Australia: DUI Safety Campaign | The Australian DUI safety campaign ad took me a few cups of coffee before I figured it out.
Nice ad... funny...
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| 29 April, 2009 - Video: Belgium Safety Ad - Do Not Be Surprised By Bikers | That time of the year, loads of motorcycle safety TV ads. Here's a good one from Belgium.
The ad is targeted towards car drivers, telling them not to be surprised by bikers. The ad is quite simple, but effective.
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| 28 April, 2009 - Video: Germany Motorcycle Safety Ad | Here's an interesting and well done German motorcycle safety TV ad.
The concept is quite good, showing that when you increase your speed on your motorcycle, simple objects like trees and road signs become lethal for you.
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| 23 April, 2009 - European Motorcycle Accidents Report (MAIDS) 2nd Edition Available | The European Motorcycle Manufacturer Association have released the 2nd edition of their excellent accident report; MAIDS (Motorcycle Accident In-Depth Study).
The 179 page report is full of data, reasons, locations, and importantly why an accident occurs. You'll be surprised to see what you learn when reading this report.
One of the MOST interesting statistics in this report: WHICH COLOR MOTORCYCLE IS MORE LIKELY TO GO DOWN! Want to guess which one it is........
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| 31 March, 2009 - France: Government Testing Motorcycle Slip Simulator | The French government are designing and testing a system that simulates or facilitates the loss of adherence, causing you to slip.
The system is meant for young kids who want to learn how to ride a 50 cc (mandator lessons in France), teaching them about slipping on a motorcycle/scooter.
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| 25 March, 2009 - Givi Bring The Right Accessory For Children On Motorcycles | It's strange that this didn't exist before. Children on motorcycles can be very dangerous, since they don't perceive the same dangers on the motorcycle as we tend to do.
here's a new seat from Givi meant for children. Like it's car counterpart, it's strapped to the pillion seat, and firmly holds the toddler in place while you ride on your motorcycle. great idea.
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| 20 March, 2009 - European Traffic Police - Safety Quiz | The European Traffic Police organization, TISPOL, have put a traffic and safety quiz on-line.
10 questions, which may not be as easy as you'd think. No registration required.
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| 17 March, 2009 - UK: Positive Motorcycle Safety Campaign | The county of Derbyshire in the UK launched last year a fresh approach towards motorcycle safety.
Instead of scaring the living daylights out of you, they've taken a positive approach.
With text like "Stay in control. Die of old age" and "Bikes aren't dangerous. Bad riders are", they've won the top PR prize in the UK.
Bravo!
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| 26 February, 2009 - Great Roads, Great Rides Part 2 - Motorcycle Education DVD | The UK Highway Agency have released a follow up of their popular Great Roads, Great Rides DVD. Appropriately named "Great Road, Great Rides 2", this DVD-ROM is an interactive guide on how to read the dangers on the road in front of you when riding your motorcycle.
It looks well done, and you can have a look at the motorcycle journey on this site. Bravo to the UK Ministry of Transport!
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| 20 February, 2009 - Luv Handles On Motorcycles | What can you hold on to when riding pillion on a motorcycle?
Rear handles? The rider's waist? The rider's shoulders? Here's a new way which is easy, the Luv Handles are two handlebar grips that are fastened on the riders belt in seconds. Easy does it... no embarrassing moments...
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| 13 February, 2009 - USA: Start Of A National Motorcycle Helmet Database | In the USA, the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) have made a halfhearted attempt at establishing a national database of approved motorcycle helmets in the US.
It's nothing compared to the UK's SHARP website with safety rating for each and every motorcycle helmet on the market, but it's a start.
Who knows, maybe in the future...
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| 12 February, 2009 - France: January 2009 Was A Very Safe Month | France saw a dramatic drop in road deaths during the month of January 2009....
Duh! Extreme cold weather, snow, ice and sleet doesn't really get you to go out and ride your motorcycle does it?
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| 10 February, 2009 - Learner Motorcyclist? Do The Survey, Win A Scooter | FEMA, together with several other alphabet agencies (FIM, ACEM and CEICA) are conducting a survey for trainee motorcycle riders.
Fill in the multilingual survey form (with some interesting questions), and you stand the chance of winning one of several prizes, including a 150cc Suzuki scooter.
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| 27 January, 2009 - Video: Hit-Air Airbag Motorcycle Jacket Ad | A badly made, almost amateur production, ad for the Hit-Air airbag motorcycle jacket. Apart from the production quality, the information that comes across is pretty good.
Who knows, maybe these motorcycle jackets will become more popular?
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| 26 January, 2009 - Bermuda To Start Very Graphic Safety Campaign | On the tropical islands of the Bermudas, the authorities are starting a very graphical safety campaign in order to reduce the number of car & motorcycle road deaths .
They are using photos of what happened to people after an accident. With the use of blood and gore, they plan to shock the population, hoping that fewer people will drink & drive.
The shocking photos will be placed in public rest-rooms, bars and restaurants.
WARNING: IF YOU ARE EVEN A BIT SQUEAMISH ABOUT BLOOD, DO NOT READ OR CLICK ON THE LINK.
I am showing one of the photos so that maybe a few people who don't live on the island will think before they drink & drive.
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| 13 January, 2009 - Steel Denim: Motorcycle Jeans | Many people don't like putting on their Power Ranger suites for small rides. Too much hassle. But if you go off wearing jeans, you can get nasty road rash.
Protective jeans are not new to the motorcycle world. There are more and more players in the market. Here's one of them: Steel Denim.
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| 6 January, 2009 - Safely Taking Children On Your Motorcycle | Taking a kid with you on a motorcycle can be daunting. Children have a different notion of safety, and they can not hold on to your motorcycle the way an adult pillion would.
Here's one product that will prevent your kids from falling off your bike, the BackRider.
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| 15 December, 2008 - Alternative To Standard Safety Vests | Putting on a safety vest when riding your motorcycle, makes you look pretty dorky, but at least you're alive. But there are alternative ways of making you visible at night on your motorcycle.
Here's a pretty good solution by Exelite from New Zealand. Single sash up to backpack add-ons, all are battery powered LEDs.
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| 28 November, 2008 - Video: French No Phone While Driving Campaign | Another hard hitting and shocking safety campaign by the French government.
This one is to tell people to stop using phones while driving. The TV Ad has a good shock effect.
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| 14 November, 2008 - Germany: Shocking Speed Reduction Campaign | The Germans are using billboards in the shape of death notices to get driver and motorcycle riders to slow down on their motorways.
The idea is to shock people into thinking!
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| 31 October, 2008 - If It Is Good Enough For Navy Seals It Good For Bikers | Here's something that the US Navy Seals use that could very well be used by us motorcycle riders.
They are pants with 8 built-in tourniquet strings. Get hurt and bleeding? Pull the string and stop the blood flow.....
Medic, Medic....
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| 21 October, 2008 - Custom Made High Visibility Motorcycle Vests | TinWolf in the UK produce high visibility motorcycle vests that don't make you look like a highway worker (not that there's anything wrong with highway workers).
You can customize the hi-vis vests with your own message, slogan and/or logo.
Nice and safe, day and night.
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| 13 October, 2008 - ACEM Goes Motorcycle Cartoon | ACEM, the European motorcycle manufacturing association, have released a cartoon character and cartoon strips to help educate motorcycle riders in dealing with problems on the European roads.
The character, Lucky 13, can be seen in his first cartoon strip dealing with "How to avoid problems at intersections".
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| 26 August, 2008 - Wear Your Motorcycle Brake and Indicator Lights | Brake lights on a motorcycle are not that easy to see. They're usually low, and car, specially when tailgating, can't see them enough.
Placing them on your helmet is one idea, but here's another way of doing it. A harness that is worn on the back, will show the brake light and indicators, both attached to the motorcycle without wires!
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| 21 July, 2008 - Video: British Army Motorcycle Safety | To prevent British soldiers from killing themselves outside of the battlefields, specially when riding their motorcycles, they've produced a good safety video.
It's well done, with a good tag line. I hope it makes them think...
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| 15 July, 2008 - Florida State Getting Fashion Conscious | The Florida State Highway officials have launched a campaign called "Ride Proud, Ride Loud", and they're not talking about loud pipes...
The State Police think that by telling motorcycle riders in their sunny state to wear bright colors, to paint their motorcycles brights colors and to put on extra lights, that the fatalities will go done.
Personally, I think the only thing that will make you visible on the road as a motorcycle is a bright and blue flashing strobe light!
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| 17 June, 2008 - Europe To Standardize Motorcycle Safety Guardrails | Anyone with half a brain will know that most guardrails (safety barriers) are dangerous for motorcycles and their riders.
After 2à years fighting, FEMA has announced that the European Union is now going to look at making a standard for safety barriers to accommodate motorcycles.
Finally...
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| 26 May, 2008 - Motorcycles Ranked 2 In Terms Of Recalls | Motorcycle recalls ranked 2nd only after toys. That shows you how many problems there are in the manufacturing of motorcycles.
OK, most of the recalls are for mini-motorcycles or off-road bikes, but still....
The EU have a website with all recent motorcycle recalls. It's searchable.
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| 20 May, 2008 - First 100% Motorcycle Friendly Road Opened | After intense lobbying by FEMA (the Federation of Motorcycle Associations), the first motorcycle friendly road has been opened.
Located in Norway, the road has been adapted to be safe for motorcycles. Way to go! More please !!!!
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| 13 May, 2008 - France: Electronic Alcohol Tests Mandatory? |  After 2 drinks, the risk exists |
France likes its booze and its public holidays. But both do not mix. Last weekend was a 5 day weekend, and it resulted in a record number of road fatalities; 19 so far.
Alcohol is the biggest contributing factor, and the government has decided to do something about it. It's not drastic (yet), but we'll see how it pans out.
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| 29 April, 2008 - Chris Vermeulen’s Motorcycle Safety Message | Australian MotoGP rider, Chris Vermeulen, has put all his personal time and efforts in promoting motorcycle safety in Australia.
Posters, TV ads and a MySpace page, all dedicated to motorcycle safety.
Cool!!
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| 16 April, 2008 - Minnesota Motorcycle Safety | The Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center have gotten themselves a great web site full of useful safety information.
Meant to educate motorcycle riders about being visible in today's busy roads, the site is full of handy safety tips. I highly recommend a visit. Take the quiz....
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| 15 April, 2008 - The Dangers Off Not Recalling: Manufacturers At Fault | Many of us think that if there's a known problem with your motorcycle, that the manufacturer will do anything in their power to contact you and repair your issue, especially when your safety and life is at risk....
Well... you're wrong! Not all manufacturers make sure that their recalls are heard by all. Some don't say anything. Some say the minimum. At least in some countries, there are central databases that you can check, but many countries don't even have that.
Here's an example of what can happen. The story has an happy end...
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| 20 March, 2008 - Video: TAC Motorcycle Protective Clothing Ad | Another hard hitting motorcycle safety ad, this time it's Australian.
It's run by TAC, and it's to remind you that even when riding a short distance on your motorcycle, it's a good idea to pt on protective clothing.
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| 19 March, 2008 - The Downside Of Motorcycle Leathers | Alpinestar, known for the protective gear for motorcycles, and conscious of the Power Ranger effect we have when dressed in our leathers, have come up with a new line of motorcycle protective clothing.
Dubbed NERO, their protective clothing can be used as "casual" clothes. But it comes at a price...
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| 19 February, 2008 - Video: USA DOT Safety Ad With Secretary Peters | Here's an interesting safety ad from the USA. It features none other than the head of the Department of Transportation (DOT), the agency ultimately responsible for motorcycle safety.
Mary Peters is not only the Secretary of the DOT, but she's also a biker. And she had in 2005 a motorcycle accident.
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| 11 February, 2008 - Wireless Impact Guardian: More Than A WIG | Brycen Spencer has invented a life saving device for us motorcycle riders.
Called WIG (Wireless Impact Guardian), it's a device mounted inside a motorcycle helmet, that when sensing an impact, gives the rider 60 seconds to disable the alarm. If it's not disabled, the device calls 911, and includes the exact geographical location of the crashed rider.
Pretty cool!
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| 7 February, 2008 - Motorcycle Friendly, Smart and Ecological: Road Studs! | British company Astucia have released a new road stud, that's smaller, less obtrusive than normal studs, but also store solar energy to light up the road during nighttime.
900 meters visibility at night! What more do you want?
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| 5 February, 2008 - Too Much ATGATT? | I'm a firm believer in ATGATT, but this bloke is going too far in the protection department.
He looks more like a knight going into battle...
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| 24 January, 2008 - Be Seen At Night On A Motorcycle | For a few dollar, you can be seen (more) on the road at night.
Install the HJC Windlight LED for Helmets Light, it's wind-powered, and allows you to be more visible from behind at night.
Not bad for US$27.
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| 1 January, 2008 - UK: No Motorcycle Unfriendly (and Killing) Barriers | UK authorities have decided to stop the proposed wire barriers placements in the UK, since someone actually realized that this could double the number of bikers in the UK.
Catch my drift??
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| 4 December, 2007 - AlphaMirror: Automatic Dimmer Mirror For Motorcycles | Anyone who has ridden their motorcycle at night time will have been faced with rear traffic blinding you with their lights. Cars can manual or electronically dim their mirrors, but we're stuck....
AlphaMirrors offer you the solution. Automatic dimming motorcycle mirrors. No light glare at night anymore!!
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| 22 November, 2007 - UK: New Motorcycle Helmet Testing Standard | The UK government is starting a new helmet testing and rating system. 1-5 stars will tell you how good a specific motorcycle helmet is.
All UK approved helmets will be on a website, so easy to reference.
Website is already available, but the data will be populated Spring 2008.
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| 16 November, 2007 - Video: Look Twice Save A Life | Yet another very lame and tame motorcycle awareness TV ad from the USA.
Nobody will pay attention to this ad, except bikers, and they're not the ones targeted.
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| 14 November, 2007 - Want ABS But Can’t Afford It? Try Lifesaver! | Lifesaver TCB may not be ABS, but it's doesn't have the ABS price tag either.
Lifesaver prevents you from blocking your wheels in the case of a panic stop. And it does it for US$99.
You can't really go wrong with that, can you?
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| 13 November, 2007 - Video: More French Safety Ads | The French road safety campaigns continue. Now they're targeting car drivers that forget to put out their indicators, speed, or use their mobile phones.
All this to protect the motorcycle riders.
Don't you love the French ??
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| 23 October, 2007 - The Danger Of Flip-up Helmets | Many of us have flip-up helmets. Many of us think they are safe in case of an accident.
Here are two photos showing you that this is not always the case. It's not to stop you from using a flip-up helmet on your motorcycle, but that you should know that it's not 100% safe.
WARNING: The photos are NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH!! DO NOT LOOK IF YOU CAN NOT STAND THE SIGHT OF BLOOD !!!
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! |
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| 22 October, 2007 - Singapore: Kiddy Motorcycle Training | Singapore, a country known for not being easy going, have got a pretty good training program for youngsters.
Aged between 7 and 12, they are taught about safe motorcycle and traffic riding. Nice one!
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| 16 October, 2007 - French Motorcycle Magazine Tests Airbag Jacket | French motorcycle magazine Moto Revue did a real test of the Protair airbag jacket.
Using a stuntman, they showed that the airbag jacket can save lives.
Check out there site, including a video of the stunt.
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| 12 October, 2007 - LED Tire Pressure Warning System | Checking your tire pressure is a pain, and you need to remember to do it every few weeks. You could install a wireless gauge, which is handy, but expensive.
Here's a good and reasonably cheap solution; the LED Tire Alert Valve. US$ 21.95 for four valves.
Works on motorcycles, and installation takes seconds.
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| 4 October, 2007 - Esquad Jeans On Your Motorcycle: A Real Alternative | Riding in jeans on a motorcycle is dangerous, since they can not stop you from getting road rash or severe burns. But riding in jeans is easy and practical. The only thing you could do today is ride in Draggin Jeans.
But now there's a real alternative, that's lighter, breathes and protects better. And that's the Esquad jeans. Using space technology, combined with cotton, you now have jeans that feel and wear like jeans, and protect you from crashes like never before.
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| 1 October, 2007 - New French Motorcycle Safety Ad | The French and the English have got the best motorcycle safety ads, both in print and TV.
Here's the latest print ad from the French government, telling bikes to remain visible.
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| 26 September, 2007 - d3o (Liquid Armor) Mini Review | Charles, a motorcycle rider on a RTW trip from the UK to Australia is testing out the new d3o protection material. D3o is a gel like material that solidifies on impact (liquid armor).
Charles took the times to send in a mini review of the d3o material.
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| 21 September, 2007 - Smart and Simple: Super-Visor | Riding into a low sun is anything but fun on a motorcycle.
Unless you have an off-road or enduro helmet, there's not much you can do about it.
Here's a simple solution for you; the Super-Visor!
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| 18 September, 2007 - Video: Safety-Looking Isn’t Always Seeing | Here's a nice safety video, not the kind you normally see.
I think it's British, but don't think it's an official one, ie, broadcast, but still it's good because it's simple.
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| 4 September, 2007 - Airbag Motorcycle Helmet | Spanish company, APC Systems, has designed an airbag system for motorcycle helmets.
Adaptable for most helmets, it'll open within 0.15 seconds, and save your neck and back.
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| 3 September, 2007 - Nice Safety Feature From Volvo: Would Work On Motorcycles | Volvo have come out with a safety feature in some of their cars, that would work on motorcycles as well.
The system warns you when you need to take a break, and get a cup of coffee.
Direct me to the nearest Starbucks please...
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| 30 August, 2007 - Biker Id Bracelets | Interesting product; biker bracelets with your id and vitals engraved.
Be fashionable, while still being safe.
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| 17 August, 2007 - Bulletproof Backpacks | Here's an interesting product. Bulletproof Backpacks!
It's interesting to see, since they're quite useful in today's violent society, but sad when you read who the market is for. Read on.
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| 12 July, 2007 - Video: Motorcycle Awareness USA Style | A pretty lame video, made in the USA, for motorcycle awareness.
Not like in the UK, where videos are hard hitting and make people think.
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| 19 June, 2007 - France: Motorcycle Technical Control Coming | The French are deciding to emulate the British with their MOT - annual motorcycle technical inspection. The aim is to have motorcycles over a certain age limit, to under go an annual technical inspection.
A way to save lives, or to make certain people richer ? |
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| 5 June, 2007 - France And Motorcycle Safety Campaigns | The French Ministry of Transportation (Road Safety) has launched another hard hitting campaign to promote road safety for motorcycles.
As usual, their effective ads are not only aimed at motorcycle riders, but also at car drivers.
With a good slogan, they try to teach French car drivers to look before doing something in a car.
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| 18 May, 2007 - Safety: Ducati’s Mission | Ducati are committing themselves in helping Europe reach its ambitious objective of 50% less fatal motorcycle accidents by 2010.
They will launches several campaigns to sensitive motorcycle riders to the dangers of riding motorcycles.
First examples will be seen at the WDW and HyperTour.
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| 16 May, 2007 - Motorcyclist Posts His Injury Photos On The Net | British motorcycle rider, Bryan Cameron, took a spill when riding his motorcycle without a helmet.
His face needed 13 stiches, and he decided to post his injury photos in order to warn others of what happens when riding without a helmet.
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| 15 May, 2007 - Video: Spanish Safety Ad | A safety TV ad from Spain. No need to understand Spanish in order to see what they're talking about.
The message is loud and clear! |
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| 3 May, 2007 - Video: Safety - Don’t Speed | | "Funny" and interesting safety TV ad, promoting motorcycle riders to think about speeding. You don't always have the luxury to think when speeding. |
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| 26 April, 2007 - Rolls-Royce Sponsoring Motorcycle Safety Ride | Luxury car manufacturer Rolls-Royce are hosting a local BikeSafe effort conducted by the local Sussex Police.
30 Rolls-Royce employees will be given instruction and advice on how to ride safe.
The Chairman and CEO of Rolls-Royce is himself a keen motorcycle rider. So why can't other car manufacturers host these kind of events ?
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| 24 April, 2007 - Video: Motorcycle Safety - Helmets (Czech Republic) | Here's a really nice TV ad for motorcycle safety (apparently from the Czech Republic). It's why you should always wear a helmet.
The interesting thing is that they don't even show a motorcycle! |
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| 2 April, 2007 - Video: You Didn’t See Me | Here's an interesting motorcycle safety video ad. It's about cars not seeing motorcycles.
I don't know if this ad was actually broadcast, but it's simple and very effective. |
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| 6 March, 2007 - Useful Motorcycle Website - Elf Moto | Elf lubricants has a very comprehensive website dedicated to motorcycles.
It is full of tips for maintenance, safety gear purchase and other very useful information for beginner or veteran motorcycle riders.
Much of their stuff can be downloaded, or printed.
The site is in several languages.
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| 1 March, 2007 - Stylish Reflective Motorcycle Clothing | You don't need to look like a biker when you wear reflective motorcycle clothing. There are alternatives that allow you to be seen at night, but still look stylish. Check out Don-B clothing.
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| 1 February, 2007 - KTM/BMW Neck Brace Available | The BMW/KTM Neck brace is now available (as off March), and will set you back some €500 !
How expensive (or cheap) is your life ??
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| 20 December, 2006 - Video: Airbag For Motorcycles - Good/Bad ? | | A video demonstration of the airbag on a motorcycle. A motorcycle hits a car at 50 kph from different angles, with and without an airbag. You judge whether it's a good thing or not ! |
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| 14 November, 2006 - Video: Awareness Ads - New York, USA | | Finally, here's a motorcycle awareness TV ad from New York, USA. Who said that the Americans weren't producing shock ads to increase motorcycle awareness ? |
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| 31 October, 2006 - Naked Bikers - Not Naked Bikes | Here's a look at a very original safety awareness campaign from down under (Australia).
They want non-bikers to know how vulnerable motorcycle riders are. To do that, they all stripped and rode around naked.
Great publicity !
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| 24 October, 2006 - Dainese Neck Protectors | Dainese have introduced at the Intermot motorcycle show a line of products with a built-in neck protector.
Not as bulky and the KTM/BMW Neck brace, it looks very useable and safe.
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| 23 October, 2006 - MADD | MADD stands for Motorcyclists Against Dumb Drivers, and is an American organization that wants to properly educate car drivers to take into account motorcycles.
They publish all the email addresses of US Governors and a standard form letter to send them.
Maybe you'll save a life... maybe even yours !
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| 11 October, 2006 - KTM Motorcycle Neck Brace | KTM have shown at the Intermot the prototype neck brace for off-road motorcycle racers that will be used by all their factory racers.
Looks good !
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| 2 October, 2006 - Video: Awareness 70’s Style | | Here's a cute TV ad for raising motorcycle awareness (that is, being aware as a biker) made in the 70's in the UK. They don't make'em like this anymore (thank heaven). |
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| 13 September, 2006 - Hit-Air Motorcycle Gloves | Hit-Air are one of the main inflatable airbag jackets manufacturers in the world, but did you know they also produce motorcycle gloves ?
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| 12 September, 2006 - Cell Phones and Driving | | Cells phones in cars are dangerous for us motorcycle riders. Sweden is about to ban all cell phones, including hands-free ones. Here's a list of countries with regulations against mobile phone usage. |
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| 12 September, 2006 - Revolutionary Motorcycle Rider Protection | Do Corning have released a miracle material for motorcycle clothing.
Light, comfortable, integrated, but with 40% more protection.
Called the Active Protection System, this looks like the way forward.
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| 26 July, 2006 - New British Motorcycle Safety Video | A new hard hitting British motorcycle safety TV ad has been launched !
Very good, as usual. It makes you think (first about the ad) why other countries aren't doing similar.
Is it because the lives of bikers means less ?? |
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| 10 July, 2006 - ResQtag - Life Saving ? | Often in a motorcycle accident, if you're not able to talk, having information on you for medical emergencies can be life saving.
He's a nifty and cheap product from the USA that will help; ResQtag ! How much is your life worth ?
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| 7 June, 2006 - New, Safer, Motorcycle - Genesis | British firm Genesis are finishing up their Genesis Mark 111, a safe motorcycle ! Several companies and universities have expressed interest in the special motorcycle.
Is this the answer to traffic jams and high oil prices ? Is this the way to reduce deaths on the road ?
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| 11 May, 2006 - Coasters for Safety | A company in the USA is selling beer coasters promoting motorcycle safety. Isn't that a bit incompatible ?
They plan also to distribute 10,000 to local bars and restaurants.
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| 5 April, 2006 - Excellent Document From ACEM | ACEM published a new document today, that not only all governments should read, but all motorcycle riders as well.
Meant for the governments of this world, as a rider you can learn a lot.
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| 1 March, 2006 - Think Video - A Perfect Day | | Thanks to Google's Video service, you can now see videos on this site. First one is from the UK. |
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| 2 February, 2006 - Excellent Motorcycle Safety Video Ad | Here's an excellent TV ad from the UK, promoting biker awareness.
It has got to be one of the better ones, that will make car drivers pay more attention to motorcycles. |
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