Devon County recorded the lowest number of biker deaths on its roads last year, with just one fatal accident compared to six in both 2011 and 2012. This is according to Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council cabinet member for highway management, as cited by the Mid Devon Gazette.
Devon County Council has adopted a motorcycle safety project which has had a positive impact on reducing accidents involving motorcyclists. Despite the fact that bikers make up around 1% of the traffic in Devon, they account for around 25% of road users involved in a fatal accident on Devon’s roads each year.
The council wants to make the roads even safer in order to continue reducing the number of fatalities. In order to do that, it is supporting an appeal by the Peninsula Trauma Network for unwanted or old jackets, leathers and trousers. The donated clothing will be used on mannequins to help the trauma squad train for emergency situations.
There is evidence that practice for trauma staff improves their performance and could save peoples’ lives, says Iain Grant, clinical director for the Peninsula Trauma Network. It’s important that when trauma staff are trained, we make it realistic as possible, so the use of donated clothing is very valuable, he added.
Furthermore, the Devon County Council promotes the use of the Motorcycle CRASH card, which is developed by a group of paramedics and ambulance professionals, known as the Ambulance Motorcycle Club. The card holds vital data, such as medical history, phone numbers and information on medication taken by the biker. The project encourages bikers to keep the CRASH card in their helmet along with a green sticker on the outside of the helmet to indicate to emergency teams that the card is inside.
Devon County recorded the lowest number of biker deaths on its roads last year, with just one fatal accident compared to six in both 2011 and 2012. This is according to Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council cabinet member for highway management, as cited by the Mid Devon Gazette.