News

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is introducing a new superbike to its fleet as part of a project to help persuade motorcyclists to take road safety more seriously.

Bikers make up only 1% of motorists but account for a staggering 25% of those killed and seriously injured on Kent’s roads*. Fire crews are frequently called to attend road traffic collisions where riders are trapped and are seriously injured or killed. In the last two years alone, KFRS attended 170 road traffic collisions involving motorcycles, mopeds and scooters.

Called Fire Bike Pitstop, KFRS’s new initiative will involve the Honda CBR1000RR ABS Fireblade superbike being used by a team of four firefighters (who are all Police Standard rider trained and experienced riders) at specific events as an educational tool to raise awareness of road safety. The team will be promoting good rider behaviour and asking riders ‘What’s your rideability?’.

Watch Manager Lawrence Pater, Fire Bike Team Leader, explains: “With 'Fire Bike Pitstop' we wish to create an area where people can stop by, talk to our team and gain good advice on staying fit for the road.

“The message we will be promoting is ‘enjoy your bike; ride it sensibly on the road to enjoy it to the best’ – which you can do by improving your riding skills to give yourself a better chance of keeping your life.”

The Fire Bike Pitstop’s first outing will be to a motorcyclist track-day at Brands Hatch Racing Circuit on Monday 29 June, and its official launch will be championed by Supersport 600 rider James Webb.

James Webb said: “I am really pleased to be associated with this initiative by Kent Fire and Rescue Service. Their approach should really appeal to riders and people who are interested in racing, track days and burning rubber. Hopefully it will encourage riders to take a more sensible approach to riding on the roads. The advice is clear - if you do want to push the limits, do it in a controlled environment at a race track, NOT on the roads.”

The statistics:

·         * figures from the Kent and Medway Camera Safety Partnership.

·         In the last 2 years KFRS has attended 170 RTC’s involving motorcycles, mopeds and scooters.

·         Motorcyclists are 54 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured per kilometre travelled than a car (Kent Police, 2009).

·         80% of motorcyclists think that they are above average riders and that accidents only happen to others (ROSPA).

·         Fatal motorcycle incidents are often isolated, single vehicle incidents during which loss of control, rider error or inappropriate speed ... resulted in fatal consequences (Kent Police).

·         In the last three years (between October 2005 and September 2008) 538 riders were killed or seriously injured between in Kent and Medway (Kent Police 2009).