Figures released by Transport For London show a frightening number of motorcyclists are involved in accidents over London each year. Apparently almost 1,000 of them die or are seriously hurt.
Looking at the figures more closely is no less comforting. Of the nearly 5,000 collisions involving motorbikes or scooters in 2007, 944 of the cases resulted in serious injury or a fatality.
Apparently Harrow had the lowest accident count, and Westminster the highest. In the borough of Croydon 141 motorcyclists were injured, one fatally.
A strange psychological phenomena may be partly to blame, called the Size Arrival Effect. Tests have shown that when judging the arrival speed of approaching objects, the human brain makes a judgement that smaller objects like bikes or scooters will take longer to arrive than larger vehicles such as vans or cars.
As part of a nationwide advertising campaign, Transport For London urge drivers to look twice for motorbikes at all times. They also highlight that a high proportion of accidents happen during commuting hours, and as the weather gets warmer it entices more motorcyclists to take to two wheels.
Katrina Monroe
