Diesel kills motorcyclists

Trucks or vans spilling diesel onto the road should be pulled over and forced to stop driving until their vehicles are fixed according to the RAC Foundation, supporting the KillSpills lobby on Downing Street this Saturday

Hundreds of motorcycle accidents each year could be prevented if drivers stopped over-filling their diesel tanks. The RAC Foundation is urging motorists and bikers to report vehicles spilling diesel to the police as the police can prevent the vehicle from moving or ensure that it is retuned to the depot.

Official Government figures show that a motorcyclist is twice as likely to be involved in a serious or fatal accident as a result of oil and diesel on the road compared with ice or snow.

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation claimed: "More care by the drivers of diesel cars and particularly heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles would be an easy way to help reduce motorcycle accidents.

"Brimming, the practice of filling the tank to the very top, and then not ensuring that it is securely fastened with a proper filler cap almost inevitably results in a diesel spill. That can result in skidding, and possible death, for any following rider. All too often one can see overfilled vehicles spilling diesel at roundabouts and on corners. These vehicles should be reported to the police as they are leaving the roads in a treacherous state for bikers."

The problem is much more prevalent among goods vehicles and buses as private cars tend to better maintained and have more effective systems to prevent brimming.

When diesel spews onto the road it becomes invisible to the human eye, but can be more slippery than black ice. While winter weather conditions can cause dangerous driving conditions these are usually forecast and anticipated – alerting the rider to take appropriate avoidance or caution - but this is an impossibility with diesel which can be shed, unseen, at any time of the year.

A national campaign, KillSpills, was launched in October 2003 by a number of bikers belonging to two sports biking forums. Steve Edwards from KillSpills said:

"The aim of the KillSpills campaign is, education, working with the Government, diesel users, truck manufacturers and the oil companies to make users aware of the dangers of spilling diesel on the public highway. Diesel users need to realise that they owe other road users a duty of care, and that spilling diesel should be considered as anti social as driving a defective vehicle or speeding. The weakest link in the diesel spill chain is the diesel user; hence education is of paramount importance."

The RAC Foundation supports the KillSpills campaign, which calls for UK motor manufacturers to improve the design of all diesel vehicles to prevent the fuel from spewing out from the tank and informing all UK diesel drivers to never over re-fill their vehicle tank and to re-fit their filler cap correctly. If this is not done, the fuel can spill onto the road. In addition, the campaign urges all UK businesses to educate fleet drivers about the dangers that diesel spills can cause. The Government to undertake a national publicity campaigning warning of how hazardous diesel spillage can be on the road.

How to spot diesel:

• Look out for diesel spills on roundabouts, junctions and other tight corners that will cause uncapped fuel tanks to slosh over. Any wet patch on a dry road is suspect and long, dark lines should be avoided. Diesel is deadly, even on a dry road, and it does not evaporate.
• In the wet, look for rainbow colour patches on the road and stay alert for diesel’s distinctive smell, It’s as lethal as black ice in the wet, but takes far longer to disappear. Remember that you can usually smell diesel before you can see it.
• Keep your eyes open and be aware of diesel black spots when you are out riding, such as roundabouts, junctions, bus stops, your favourite corner and roads near petrol stations. Diesel can have you and your bike sliding down the tarmac in seconds, so always look ahead and avoid any suspicious looking patches on the road.

How to deal with diesel:

• Firstly, always try to steer around the diesel. If you hit it, keep the bike as upright as possible, maintain a constant throttle and do NOT apply your brakes. If you are cornering, stand the bike up and run a little wider to the other side of the slick.
• Do everything on the bike smoothly, as you would on ice, and you can ride out the other side safely. Remember that there are likely to be more spillages further up the road, so keep a look out.
• If you inform your local council of any spillages, they should get it dealt with.