If the weather worsens, take extra care to look out for bikers!

Bikers often come out in force in the warmer months, so there are arguments to say there’s less of a chance of a collision in the colder months. At the same time, lights are often more easily visible in the dark during the shorter days too, which can help bikers to be seen more easily.

But that doesn’t mean bikers are in less danger, and the dangers can be increased during winter for other reasons; especially in times of worse weather like we are set to be enduring soon.

OK, we know it happens every year – sensationalist headlines when all we get is a few flakes of the white stuff and the whole of Britain comes grinding to a halt! But when it does happen, we need to take more care for bikers, and there are other dangers to consider too.

Stopping distances – don’t assume you’re safe!

Approaching a junction or a roundabout where no car is clearly visible doesn’t mean something isn’t there. You can’t take it for granted, as you might find there’s a biker on their way round, and you might find it far harder to stop before overreaching the line and causing a serious crash.

There are no excuses – the line must be approached with care, and extra time should be allowed to safely stop in time in case there is an approaching biker.

Fog, snow, and rain

Visibility can be seriously hampered by fog, heavy rain, and of course snow. Drivers cannot rely on the power of motorcycle lights to always be clearly seen, and all road users must take extra care when visibility is reduced.

As always, there is no such excuse as: “sorry, I didn’t see you!”

Dirty mirrors

This is actually a lot more important than most people think.

Cleaning your car in winter is probably about as useful a chocolate tea pot. Within hours it’ll probably be just as dirty because of the dirt that’s kicked up off the cold wet roads, and you’ll often find that wing mirrors (in particular) are easily obscured by dirt and muck; and this makes seeing with them even harder in winter.

It can sometimes actually make driving in the daytime more dangerous because you won’t have the reflection of light in the wing mirrors, and it can be easy to miss a biker when you change lane or overtake.

The solution is simple: drivers clean their mirrors and make sure they’re not dirty and obscured before setting off!

In summary: the weather is never an excuse!