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Our top safety tips for motorcyclists

Five members of the Fire Bike team stood in full, matching motorcycle safety gear. Four helmets are all placed on the floor in front of them, and three Service vehicles - which are two engines and one car- as well as a motorcycle are behind them. The group from left to right is a woman, a man, another woman, and another two men.

Motorcycles only make up around 1% of traffic on the road, but in 2020 accounted for 20% of road fatalities and 12% of road casualties in Great Britain.

The greatest proportion of road fatalities happen on rural roads, of which we have many in Devon and Somerset.

Our top safety tips for motorcyclists

  1. Get a CRASH card now. This is a small card you can place inside your helmet. If an accident happens, paramedics can use the card to quickly find your medical history, medication details and a next of kin to contact.
  2. Wear proper safety clothing to protect you from serious injury in the event of a crash.
  3. Maintain your bike so it’s in top condition.
  4. Appreciate the impact weather conditions can have on your journey. Wet roads – particularly after a period of dry weather – are very slippery.

First aid for motorcyclists

Our fire bike team offer free three-hour motorcycle safety workshops called ‘Biker Down’.

The course teaches:

  • what to do at the scene of a collision involving a biker
  • first aid specific to bikers
  • the science of being seen
Find out about Biker Down workshops
A group after a Biker Down event. There are 20 people stood together outside of Service Headquarters' entrance, which is glass with cream pillars and has 'Reception' written in white across the front. A red and neon yellow fire service motorcycle is in front of the group. It has fire written in capital neon yellow letters across the back.

Motorcycle maintenance is key for your safety

Check your POWDERS before you ride: 

  • Petrol – do you have enough fuel?
  • Oil – are your oil levels are topped up?
  • Water – have you checked your coolant levels?
  • Damage – check the motorcycle over for any signs of damage. This includes checking for chain tension and lubrication, and damage to sprocket teeth. If your bike has a belt rather than a chain, you should check for signs of damage such as cracking and drying.
  • Electrics – check all lights including brakes and indicators are working and that any cables are secure. Make sure that cables and termination points are not worn as this can lead to failure of systems such as clutch, brakes or lighting.
  • Rubber - check your tyres once a week. Motorcycles need legal, correctly inflated and maintained tyres to ride, brake and handle safely.
    • Check tyre pressure when your tyres are cold and ensure they are set at the correct pressure as recommended by the manufacturer.
    • Look for cracks, bulges or objects embedded in the tread.
    • Take a look to make sure your tyres are wearing evenly, if they’re not, your tyre pressures may be wrong, or wheel assembly may be incorrectly balanced.
    • Ensure tyres are clean and free of oil and grease, wash them with the detergent if necessary.
    • Check your tyre tread depth. It must be no less than 1mm around the circumference of the middle three-quarters of the tyre.
  • Self – make sure you are fit to drive, not tired, or under the influence of alcohol, drugs or any medicines.