Cause of motor-cycle accidents outlined

Press, 28 October 1982, Page 27

Cause of motor-cycle accidents outlined

Motor-cycle accidents could be caused by riders looking at the objects that they were trying to avoid, according to the national president of the Motor-Cycle Association, Mr A. R. Kirk. He was commenting on a report in “The Press” of October 20 in which a Chatham Islands girl, aged 13, died after a motor-cycle accident.

The report of a Coroner’s Court hearing quoted the pillion passenger as saying that the girl, who was riding the motor-cycle, hit a bridge pile, probably because she turned too late.

Mr Kirk said that the accident may have been one

of those caused by riders hitting the object that they were trying to avoid because they fastened their eyes on it.

“This is the reason why a lot of motor-cyclists go off the road,” Mr Kirk said. “They look at the-corner, or the side of the road.” Motor-cyclists looking at someone on the footpath, began to move towards the footpath. Although this might not be so pronounced in drivers of cars, the fine balance of the body on the motor-cycle was altered by the direction of gaze, he said. The association held courses on motor-cycle safety, he said.