From here you can access the Roads and Infrastructure Issues that we are involved in.
For European Issues – consultations – campaigns – Click Here
We are also monitoring motorcycle issues and involved at Government Departmental level and lobbying in the background, setting the ground work, for the future.
As motorcyclists we know that we are more susceptible to defective road surfaces.
It’s not rocket science, poor road design and maintenance can contribute to motorcycle crashes, injuries, and fatalities.
All Northern Irish motorcyclists have the right to clean roads!
You can report a road fault to the Roads Services through their website.
The spillage of diesel fuel from heavy commercial vehicles, vans and cars is particularly dangerous for riders.
The result is a very slippery and invisible surface of which the motorcyclist has no warning and it almost inevitably results in the rider and machine parting company, often with serious consequences for the rider.
Don’t Overfill – Stickers
Granting motorcycle access to certain Bus Lanes in Northern Ireland started in 2004.
Most Bus Lanes in Northern Ireland are available to buses, motorcycles, bicycles and Belfast public hire taxis.
Bus Lanes are clearly marked with white lines and the associated signs which are on a blue background.
Riders on the NI Bikers Forum have voiced concerns and are warning other riders of the hazard of new joints on the M3 Lagan Bridge in Belfast.
According to Roads Service the bridge joints where replaced during June and August 2010 to ensure their continued high performance in coping with today’s traffic volumes.
The latest communication that we have received from Roads Service, reiterates that they, the designers and the joint manufacturer are taking this issue very seriously and are actively pursuing this until its conclusion.
Following the “It’s Not Rocket Science” theme, the following statement can not be argued against – metallic manhole or service covers, offer almost no traction, and are slippery when wet.
However there is a solution that has been around for a few years and has now received a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award.
“Dragon Teeth” refers to a type of stone wall which is typical in Northern Ireland.
The part of these walls which give them their “Dragon Teeth” name and appearance are their tops which have large angular stones vertically cemented in place.
At Right To Ride we think the idea is to make these walls look rustic, fitting in as part of the natural surroundings of “old” rural Northern Ireland, nice but deadly.
All Northern Irish motorcyclists have the right to clean roads!
So says a new Facebook page which asks people to join and support motorcyclists in the pursuit to have our local government sit up and take notice of the disgraceful state of our roads – everything from potholes to farmers trailing mud all over the B-roads.
It seems that Northern Ireland is getting wired up with the fitting of Wirerope/Cable barriers (Vehicle Restraint Systems).
We first noticed these barriers in Belfast, situated at the junction of Tesco’s at Newtownbreda, however stretches of wirerope barriers have been and are now being fitted on the A1 Dual Carriageway between Belfast and Newry.
Road authorities in Northern Ireland, responsible for the fitment of crash barriers, should be encouraged not to be influenced solely by short term “commercial” cost benefit analysis which may exclude motorcycles, simply because they represent a minority of road users.
Through their industrious hard work, the BMW Club Ulster Section reports that, “Campbell Owens the son of one the club’s esteemed club members, Bill Owens, has managed to get some very interesting information on the legalities of parking your treasured motorcycle in our capital city without incurring the wrath of a traffic warden or pedestrians.”
Standards for motorcycle parking are specified by the Northern Ireland Planning Service – Parking provision for motorcycles will be assessed on demand.
The common practice of laying a surface dressing consisting of stone chippings spread over tar on the road, which is then bedded in by traffic is not acceptable for motorcyclists.
This practice is no doubt risk assessed and warning signs are present (mostly inadequate and lacking in advance warning), however there is no doubt that this practice is a serious hazard for motorcycles, even at the posted recommended speed limit of 20mph.
Riders on the NI Bikers Forum have highlighted an issue on our roads regarding motorcycles.
This time it considers certain Traffic Light Loop Sensors which are embedded in the road surface. Riders report that the sensors are not triggering the traffic lights during time periods when traffic is light or late at night & early in the morning.
Comments Talk Back