Fatality Free Friday founder Russell White has called on motorcyclists to be ride defensively and for other motorists to look out for vulnerable road users.
The award-winning road safety program established in 2007 asks motorists to make a pledge to be safe.
So far, more than 165,000 have taken the pledge, including riders and rider groups such the Ulysses Club and various bike brand groups, Russell says.
Russell White“We tell all motorists the same message: look at the things you can do to be safe,” he says.
“It’s the only thing we can control. We can’t control other people’s behaviour.
“Riders should be particularly vigilant about other vehicles and what they might do.”
Russell says riders may be in the right in certain traffic incidents, but being right and dead is no consolation.
“You can’t say a driver has done the wrong thing and push it to a confrontation or collision … because if you have a collision on a motorcycle, you may not be around to finish the argument,” he says.
“If the other person makes a mistake, you have to manage it.”
The Fatality Free Friday message about rider safety is not just directed at riders.
“For years we have been saying to car and truck drivers to be on the lookout for vulnerable road users,” he says.
“We need to have drivers become more situationally aware. Drivers are not looking enough.
“But riders also have to place themselves where they think they can be seen and ask themselves, ‘has that driver actually seen me?’.”
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Russell says he would like to see more riders and rider groups making the Fatality Free Friday pledge.
“I would also love to see more rider safety campaigns rolled out and would love to be more engaged with the motorcycle community,” he says.