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Breakfast safety message for Leeds motorcyclists
As a young man the Lord Mayor of Leeds liked nothing more than getting astride his motorbike and taking to the open road.
But for Coun James McKenna the ride on his old BMW sometimes meant a dice with death.
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The roads of 1960s Dublin, where Coun McKenna grew up, were a treacherous place to be as an inexperienced teenage motorcyclist.
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This week he recalled his days as an Irish easy rider as he backed a safety campaign running in Leeds as part of National Motorcycle Week.
The 64-year-old said: "I inherited a bike. The engine was too large and I could barely fit on it.
"I had a few cuts and bruises from falling off myself. The protection for bikers has definitely improved since my riding days.
"But young people do need educating on the dangers of motorcycling and how accidents can be prevented".
The Lord Mayor was at Kirkstall fire station yesterday morning in a bid to raise road safety awareness during rush hour.
Officers from Leeds City Council's road safety and travelwise teams were on hand to chat with bikers and discuss the benefits of using what the council calls powered two wheelers (PTWs) – motorcycles, scooters and mopeds.
Sizzling bacon butties and cups of tea were on offer to drive home the safety message.
The bikers' breakfast was also used to show how travelling to work by motorbike or scooter can save a significant amount of time and reduce congestion.
It was the third annual breakfast which benefits not only motorcyclists but car drivers.
It aims to help reduce the number of riders injured on the city's roads.
Dave Glanville, a West Yorkshire motorcycle road safety officer, has been riding for fifteen years.
He was knocked off his bike five years ago and knows the daily dangers motorcyclists face on today's increasingly busy roads.
He said: "A substantial number of our rider casualties are commuter riders. Peak travel times see a real rise in rider casualties. So it's key that we address this through raising awareness of the issues, giving riders the skills to deal with heavy traffic and reminding other road users to 'think bike!' "
* For more safety tips go to www.mcia.co.uk
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Weather for Leeds
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
