Treacherous
Thursday!
Thursday is
the most dangerous day to ride a motorbike
Thursday is the
most dangerous day to ride a motorbike,
according to annual claims data¹ from Bennetts, the UK’s No.1 Bike Insurance
Specialist. With 28,333² accidents
involving motorcycle riders occurring in the UK every year,
the latest findings come on the back of the insurance provider’s current
Government petition, campaigning to ensure compulsory bike-related questions
are included in the driving test to help raise awareness of bikers on the road
– www.bikerpetition.co.uk.
To
date, prospective drivers can currently pass the driving test without answering
a single question relating to motorbikes and bikers, who despite accounting for just 1% of road traffic,
fall victim to over 20% of all fatalities³ on the roads.
Other
findings from Bennetts annual claims data includes:
-
Friday follows
Thursday as being the most dangerous day on the roads, with weekends being the safest time to slip into a pair of leathers
-
London
proved to be the most dangerous area,
with almost a quarter (22%) of all biking accidents occurring in the capital, with
the biggest accident hotspots found on major roundabouts in Elephant &
Castle (North) and Westway’s elevated inter-section in White City. Following
London was Leicester (12%), Norwich (11%), Portsmouth (11%) and Bristol (9%)
-
Bikers
named David are the most vulnerable on the road,
accounting for 15% of total claims, followed by those called Paul (14%) and
Andrew (11%)
-
Motorcyclists
in their 40s are most susceptible to accidents,
with over seven out of ten claims (71%) involving
people aged between 41 and 48 years
Hannah Squirrell, Director of Marketing at Bennetts
said, “With an average of 78 accidents
involving motorcycles occurring in the UK every single day¹, our latest
findings aim to make all road-users more aware of the presence and
vulnerability of bikers on Britain’s roads.
Currently, would-be motorists are able to take their driving test
without seeing a single question relating to motorcyclists, and so we’ve
registered a petition to challenge this and hopefully help improve road safety
for all. As the casualty rate of motorcyclists is currently a staggering 61
times greater than that of motorists, something must be done to
increase awareness of bikers.”
With
over 35,000 signatures to date, the e-petition has already been backed by three
of the most influential motorcycling organisations bodies; MCIA, MAG and the BMF, as well as celebrity bikers Suzi
Perry, Matthew Pinsent, Iwan Thomas and Ray Quinn. Former Double World
Superbike champion James Toseland, MotoGP star Cal Crutchlow and Moto2’s Scott
Redding are also helping encourage signatures in a bid to reach 100,000
signatures which will then allow the petition to be raised in the House of
Commons.
Adding industry support to the petition, Karen
Cole, Director of Safety and Training for the Motorcycle Industry Association
(MCI) said, “This is a very simple and
sensible change that will make a difference. Many road casualties could
be avoided if drivers were more aware of motorcyclists and other vulnerable
road users. The addition of just one mandatory question in the Drivers
Theory Test specifically about motorcycles will force drivers to ‘think
bike’ from a very early stage, encouraging good driving habits, which can only
be a good thing for both drivers and riders.”
-
Ends –
1According to Bennetts 2011 claims data
²tDepartment for Transport data (2000 – 2010)
Based on MCIA collision data in Greater London (from
2008 – 2010)
For
further information please contact:
Notes
to editors
Bennetts is a trading name of BISL
Limited, Pegasus House, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, PE2 6YS.
Registered in England No. 3231094.
BISL Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial
Services Authority.
The expression Promoter
refers to Bennetts which is a trading name of BISL Limited, registered in
England under company number 03231094, whose registered office is at, Pegasus
House, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, PE2 6YS.
THE BACKGROUND TO BENNETTS
·
Bennetts was established in Coventry by the Bennett family in
1930 to provide insurance services for the
West Midlands.
·
In the early
1980’s Bennetts devised a number of specialist insurance schemes for all types
of biker. These schemes are constantly reviewed to give bikers the exact cover
they need.
·
In 2000
Bennetts was the first motorcycle insurance specialist to launch a quote and
buy facility through its website, www.bennetts.co.uk.
·
In October
2001, the Bennetts brand was acquired
by the BGL Group (formerly the Budget Group of Companies), through its purchase
of the Dial Direct Group, a major UK car insurance intermediary.
o The BGL Group was established in 1992, and has grown to
be the UK’s third largest personal lines insurance intermediary, through a
combination of organic growth and a series of major strategic acquisitions.
o The BGL Group now arranges and administers insurance for
around 2.3 million customers with more than £600million GWP. It has contact
centre operations in Peterborough, Coventry, Sunderland, and Cape Town, South
Africa. It currently employs over 2000
people and its head office is in Peterborough.
·
In January
2005, Bennetts signed the biggest sponsorship deal in the history of the brand
by becoming title sponsor of the 2005 Bennetts British Superbike
Championship. Bennetts continued its
sponsorship of the British Superbike Championship in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
·
In June 2007, Bennetts became official
series sponsor of the World Superbike Championship for the remainder of the
2007 championship and for the entire 2008 championship.
·
Bennetts
has been personal sponsor of two-time World Superbike Champion James Toseland
since July 2007.
·
Bennetts
Ultimate Track Day was held at Donington Park in 2009 and at Cadwell Park in
2010.
·
In November 2011 independent brand tracking research
identified Bennetts as the UK’s No.1 brand for bike insurance.
·
In 2011 Bennetts became personal sponsor of MotoGP rider
Cal Crutchlow and Moto2 rider Scott Redding.
