G N I V A S LIFE
S L L I K S Take a Biker Down course: it could help you save another rider’s life
Would you know what to do if you came around a corner and found another biker lying in the road? That’s the question posed by Biker Down, a first aid course for motorcyclists. Actually, Biker Down covers more than first aid. Over three hours or so you learn how to keep yourself and others safe at the scene of a crash, as well as tips on being seen by other road users.
Safety first
So, back to scene of the collision. There’s not just another biker, but a car as
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well, with an injured driver and passenger. Whose safety do you need to attend to first? Yours. Jim Sanderson, the course’s founder and a crew manager with the Kent Fire and Rescue service, explains. “If a fire fighter attends a road traffic collision, their first job is to make sure the scene is safe for the crew to work. It’s the same for a biker. You might have to walk past people
who are lying on the ground screaming to go up to the first bend and stop the next car from coming around the corner. “If you get caught up helping people and a car comes around the bend and hits everyone, you’ve failed.” Likewise think carefully before using your own bike with hazard lights on as a warning to other road users.
