anything wrong with the driving in London either, though it seems to freak visitors out, so I may not be the best person to judge. Has anyone else had this problem in the Cotswolds?
Floundering
I guess it is fair to say that diplomacy is not always my strong point, so I guess some of you reading this may take the hump. Oh well thank God we live in a sort of democracy! This letter concerns the regions that MAG is divided into. As an organisation we have evolved in many positive ways, employing staff who are now better than ever at taking on the powers that be. We’ve become more professional as an organisation and respected by many BUT some things have not changed and left us drifting along on the tide and struggling to make headway. I refer to the Regional structure. MAG is split into a number regions, each made up of several counties, some obviously bigger than others but all, in my opinion, unmanageable.
The membership of MAG struggles to increase dramatically, I am told 1 in 100 bikers on average is a member, and year on year that tends to remain roughly similar.
Part of the reason for this is that as the regions are so large the Reps struggle to cover them. Now I am not knocking them, it’s just a fact of life. Reps are volunteers and have busy lives and only so many hours of the day to devote to MAG, no matter how committed they are. My answer would be, as per my motion to the AGC in April, (for Warwickshire to become a region), is to create much smaller areas which can be managed more effectively and where local knowledge will make it easier to start more groups closer together, thus increasing the membership.
This will result in more county-based Reps but will, I think, vastly increase the membership and interaction between local groups. Yes, it will mean a much larger National Committee, but so what? The more the merrier, and injecting new ideas is vital in any organisation to prevent stagnation. So we have to have a bigger meeting place every second month for the NC meetings, but again, why is that a problem?
MAG is moving forward, faster now than ever in many ways but it is vital we increase our membership and grow and with the Regions in their present state we are, in my opinion, floundering on this point.
Remember no fate but what we make.
Rocky, South Birmingham Rep Park free
In the past you could park your bike just about anywhere, even in the cities. Now you have to constantly watch your back for traffic wardens. I feel this is one of the greatest threats to the freedom of motorcycling and civil liberties. I hope MAG will keep pushing against this tide of opportunistic money-making. Ride free, park free, Oli
Ed, We certainly will Oli
theroad@mag-uk.org PO Box 18519 London E11 4HF Maligned Samaritan
On my way to work recently while travelling through Dulwich SE London, I came across a cyclist on the road under his bike. He was in obvious pain and unable to move. I stopped to help, parking my Fireblade at an angle to protect the cyclist from the traffic. I asked if he’d been hit, but he said he’d just come off in the greasy conditions and thought he’d broken his arm. I called for an ambulance and stayed with him as he definitely appeared shocked and woozy. So the ambulance arrives, and the first words out of the lady paramedic where “have you called the Police?” to which I replied “No, just the Ambulance.” “Well there’s a person hurt here” she says, “so the Police need to be called. I’ll do it if you won’t.”
“Hang on” I said “there’s been no RTA here, the guy came off on his own and I have just stopped to help!”
She appeared shocked that I could be both a biker and have enough nouse to stop and help a cyclist. Her assumption was that the biker had hit the cyclist, so I was the bad guy and should be nicked immediately. If that’s what the Emergency Services assume what hope do we have of getting a better reputation? The funny thing was, while talking with the guy to keep him alert I had said “I bet you most of these car drivers going past are thinking bloody biker’s hit a cyclist again!” Tim Branch
Fred Hill and helmet laws
Reading through the Fred Hill Runs 2011 article, I was somewhat taken aback at the claim that ‘the helmet law made no difference to casualty rates.’ On what is that based? I thought that MAG had moved away from the anti helmet stance.
I had an accident two years ago when the throttle stuck open on an old Suzuki Intruder causing it to dump me onto the road at about 30mph. The dent in my crash helmet proved to me that wearing a helmet definitely made a difference to the potential outcome. I am a member of the Sawtry Motor Cycle Club that has just become affiliated with MAG and I was very disappointed by the article. I believe that MAG should be concentrating on future campaigns. Would you advise that a new rider (or any rider) ride on the road with a beret? Does MAG still regard the wearing of helmets with regards to road safety ‘a red herring?’ One of my tasks within the Sawtry Club is to promote MAG and endeavor to get new members to join MAG. Having read that article it has made it more difficult for me. Why was this man imprisoned 31 times? Because wearing a beret instead of a crash helmet sends the wrong message to young riders and is breaking the law. Things change and the wearing of a crash helmet improves your chance of survival if you are involved in an accident. Fred Hill did what he did for his own reasons and I would imagine that the majority of sensible riders would not even consider riding without head protection. Where next, no guards on milling machines, using chain saws in shorts and
flip flops? To be taken seriously I feel MAG has to be serious and sensible.
Apologies for the rant but I have been a biker since 1975 and a keen organiser of our bike club since 1999. We help and encourage new riders and I think that banging on about helmet laws does nobody any good at all. Simon Sutton (Sawtry Motor Cycle Club Promotions & Web Admin)
Ed, for the sake of clarity:
• MAG has consistently endorsed the value of helmets and recognised the positive role they can play in the event of an accident involving a head impact.
• MAG does not advise against the use of helmets and never has.
• MAG doesn’t just concentrate on contemporary campaigns, we don’t have any others.
• MAG has not run an active campaign on helmet law repeal for years.
• We sustain a philosophic position which the Fred Hill article (by me) sought to articulate.
• The logic that underpins that position is fundamental to the ethos of MAG. That ethos resists any endeavour to eradicate or emasculate motorcycling pleasures on the basis that such sacrifice might just possibly enhance safety.
• The basis for stating the helmet law made no difference to casualty rates lies in Department of Transport statistics that indicated a slight rise in the fatality rate for the year following compulsion.
•MAG has never had a policy against the use of helmets.
• MAG takes issue with the criminalisation of those who wish to exercise choice just as we would take issue with a mandatory clothing requirement if that were imposed on riders.
MAG is currently concerned by EU proposals to mandate ABS on all new bikes over 125cc. The Commission claim such a move will save many lives but we are skeptical. An article on the subject in this issue invites members’ views however. MAG takes the view that road safety is a
shared responsibility that is best enhanced by cultivating mature and considerate attitudes and adopting intelligent protocols. It is ill-served by creating endless numbers of criminal offences in pursuit of total conformity. MAG very much values the support of your club Simon and I hope that you will continue to support the riders’ movement. We need every rider to stand together to resist those who have no empathy with what they see as a hazardous indulgence by a frivolous minority. MAG is determined that its view will not dominate the safety debate. We will resist efforts to use criminal law inappropriately to disadvantage all within the rider community. Let us look to what unites us and ensure that our tactics and intellectual foundation is consistent.
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