Become a Member: Get Ad-Free Access to 3,000+ Reviews, Guides, & More

Riders make safer drivers, says survey

CARRSQ Narelle Haworth and Ross Blackman motorcycles parking drivers

Drivers who also ride motorcycles are safer and make fewer and lesser-value insurance claims, according to a new British survey.

The results of the three-year survey by British motorbike insurance company Carole Nash have led the company to offer riders up to £89 off their car insurance.

Good luck trying to get your insurance company to lower your car insurance premiums on the basis that you also ride a motorcycle!

The British study found drivers who also ride make 11% fewer claims, are less likely to have a crash that results in a claim and the average value of their claims is lower.

More survey results

The survey follows several others that have also shown riders make safer motorists.

Last year the same insurance broker found in another survey that 58% of motorcyclists said it made them safer on a bicycle with 94% never having a bicycle accident.

In 2016, a survey commissioned by UK motor insurance specialists Staveley Head declared motorcycle riders the safest motorists while van drivers were the least safe.

In 2015, another British survey found riders would perform better if they had to retake their road test theory exam than car drivers.Ride Sunday trebles charity funds drivers

The 2014 British Association of Chief Police Officers report to the UK government confirms that motorcyclists are better motorists than drivers. The report even suggests more people should learn to ride so they are safer motorists.

And a 2013 Belgian road safety report says the more motorbikes on the road, the safer our roads would be.

We agree that riders are the safest road users. We have to be. The consequences of not paying full attention, riding sober and being properly trained are dire.

We’ve seen how distracted drivers endanger us so we wouldn’t do the same to other motorists. We want to keep our fellow motorcyclists safe. We ride to enjoy ourselves, not to get from A to B, so we are concentrating on riding, not on distractions to pass the time.

Ok, some of us may speed occasionally, but we seem to do it when we assess the risks are low. We prefer to concentrate on the road and the conditions, rather than our speedos and some officially nominated speed limit.

That doesn’t make us reckless, but focussed.