Ok I'm confused so I'm throwing this one out for discussion and perhaps some facts can to be learnt to the legalities of group ride outs by anyone here? This tragic story has been recently highlighted in the news, To sum it up two people were killed whilst out with a group, 5 of the riders part of the group have been charged with causing death by dangerous driving. You can read the story here BBC News - Motorcyclists charged over crash deaths of couple So who is responsible for the group? for example, you go out as a group and only you know the way to where your heading, so your a leader right? And the pace and route you ride applies to the following riders, to keep up and in the right direction etc? So what happened to riding within your abilities and being in charge of your own destiny? I believe I have read somewhere that a rider who was leading a group was given a larger fine and more endorsements on his licence when "his" group went through a police radar, simply because he was leading the group? I'll have a look and add it if I can find the article So whats going to happen next? Do we before we go out on a ride out now have to get the other riders to sign a disclaimer to be exonerated from any blame for what ever offence/error they may commit.
We don't really have a group leader . We all slow for the towns and villages and we all enjoy a bit of a dabble with each other out in the country . If any of us are on a mission and the others are not feeling the pace then the faster boys go ahead and the slower boys let them go . If we are turning off the road or come to a junction we wait till the hole group has caught up and we all pull of together . If it was me that crashed then I'm the one that cocked it up and i wouldn't want any of my friends taking the blame for me . Each to they're own but when I'm on bike i have to and try to keep an eye on every vehicle around me and where they are going , not just where I'm trying to go . Guaranteed it will be someone else that takes me out . you gotta have eyes in the back of your head on our roads but i know the risks . I love it out there and if it goes belly up then it was my doing and i think all my friends and family know that
Will read the article but first comment would be everybody rides for themselves IMO... If your not comfortable with the speed, risk, legality, style of the ride then don't do it!! Don't follow your pal at 100+ then cry your eyes out and blame him If you both get caught... As for disclaimers, surely they won't count for a thing if it's within the law and the police see fit to charge you all!! And this isn't uncommon! Do think that if a leader of a ride gets a fine abroad, providing every in the same group are riding the same, should do the honourable thing and split the on the spot fine!
I wholeheartedly agree, and this Is my point, a rider is in charge of theirselves, it should not fall on one persons shoulders just because he was the lead motorcycle and something happened.
I agree with what Dan says & when I go out, the ones that are feeling like going faster/know the roads better go up front & the group sorts itself in to speed/ability order. We do spread out with the concertina effect, but it doesn't matter if you can't see anyone as if we turn off, we wait. We also slow heavily for 30/40 mph limits in build up areas & near towns etc. We also have an understanding that if (due to antics) 1 or more gets pulled over, we don't know the guys that didn't stop as we just tagged on to the back of the group 'a way back'. I have heard that if your stopped as a group, the perceived leader can carry a heavier penalty for inciting racing/time trialling on a public highway, but how true that is, I don't know - may Benn can shed some light on the subject. On the story, I think it's disgusting that the 5 guy's have been charged, after having witnessed 2 of their friends killed by an uninsured driver. Even if the were all riding like spanners a) you take responsibility for your own actions and b) the uninsured scumbag shouldn't have been on the road & if he wasn't, there's a high probability the accident wouldn't have occurred in the first place.
Not much detail in the story but seems wrong in my eyes! Then again, if you were street racing in cars your both associated with the same act therefore liable for the same consequences? Would it matter which one hit another car killing a family? They are both guilty by encouraging each other?? Sure out pc friends on here could give us a better analysis of it!! (without it turning into a police debate please guys, got boring last time)
Oh really? I must have read it wrong (just spent the last 2 hours doing my expenses, so concentration's in bits). If it was one of the group that wasn't insured, then he's a dick. The road's dangerous enough.
Hopefully the other riders do not have more than 3 modifications on their bikes and are insured with Bennetts, they could be facing the same charge.
You know!! I wasn't there but a mate of my good pals came out and wiped out another one of his mates, turned out wasn't insured and done one leaving the poor fella with a written off bike and claim... Not good, have to be careful who ya ride with!! Expenses!! Don't get me started on those... What ya do mate? (sure it's in occupation section but I'm being lazy)
Channel Sales Manager for an IT Security Vendor. Not particularly glam, but it keeps Mrs V in Ugg boots & I get to travel around a fair bit. Completed expense claim form. Photocopy receipts & number them to correspond with said claim form. Scan it all in & email it to finance. Pain in the arse, but needs to be done. I've switched to a Tesco Club Card Master card for my work expenses. Earning a small fortune in Club Card vouchers!
Ha ha!! Sound equally as complicated as mine!! And more exciting than mine Club card points is the way forward, mate at work done a years fuel on his cc, at tesco while doing the club card, racked up 500 noted worth, took them to fraiser haart (I think) who were doing quadruple points and got a 2k breitling Makes sense that!
I am just very careful about who i ride with, If the leader is going faster than my pace i'll either carry on at the pace i'm happy with, or split off and go my own way if i have lost the group. But people I ride with are generally happy to ride their own ride, we wait at junctions for others to catch up and we understand that no-one stops if one gets pulled, this is why we have mobiles on us. If you do 20, 30, 40, 50 when you're supposed to and 'enjoy' the nationals.. you'll generally be fine, in my experience.
Mustard. Goldsmiths do the quadruple points, that how I got my limited edition MotoGP Tissot. Mrs V changes them up every year for family Merlin passes, so we get unlimited access to theme parks (live near Thorpe Park & Chessington World of Adventures), Sea Life centres & all of the Tussaud Group owned attractions.
