[NaviRai12]

Following are my observations

1) Stunts on bike. Wheeling etc is anyways dangerous but one scary trend that I am noticing nowadays is that rider will be riding without an helmet, using phone in one hand and the second hand is used for waving at people on road (their friends maybe), adjusting hair etc. By the way I am not talking about superbikes but normall 100/150 cc bikes or scooters!!

2)If they have to seriously admire the beauty of that poster on roadside, stop the bike and check it out. Not with sudden braking or eyes on poster and you are in a busy road.

3) In single lane roads, dont overtake bigger from left. Wait for some time and you will surely get a chance to overtake. Else bigger bikes may have to push you off the road or worse to avoid collision with vehicles from opposite side.

4)Make sure your stand is properly pulled back when you move.

[bhagathmp]

Congratulations to both of you on getting the opportunity to talk in a forum to discuss what is today a major cause of deaths and sadness - fatal two wheeler accidents.

I would like to hear you sharing some stats , such as;

1) No of accidents involving 2 wheelers.
2) How many of them were fatal.
3) A time / seasonality window when the most number of accidents happen.
4) Could the fatality been avoided / injuries reduced by wearing the right gear.

Talking with numbers in hand would also help drive the message home for parents who would be tuning into your show.

Apologies if this point has already been covered here , as I didn't read each and every comment.

All the best.
Bugs

[MDED]

Originally Posted by dchahal

Hi Barcalad, first of all congrats for this. I think if we are talking about a show on Prasar Bharti then we should keep the target audience in mind. More difficult is the topic and less interested will be the audience in this case. This show will be broadcasted to the remotest of the areas and keeping it simple will be a way to go. Yes, this is also possible that you can have segments for very generic/non-knowledgeable two wheeler users and then for urban commuters. I don't think talking about points like touring, trackdays and riding gear will make sense here. This way we can show our knowledge but a country where bikes with less than 100cc are still ruling and people are not ready to buy a proper helmet, we can't expect them to buy riding gear or use sign language.

Rather try to make them aware of the traffic rules and good road behavior.

Prasar Bharti inviting forum members of T-BHP is indeed a proud moment for all bhpians. dchahal has nailed it, when he mentioned about keeping the target audience in mind. AIR is being heard in the remotest part of countries and places where FM penetration and power condition is still dwindling, good service points are not available. Hence, keeping it short and crisp shall do good. Driving on slippery roads filled with slush is what an ordinary semi urban or rural folk undertakes. You can stress on driving style in muddy and slushy conditions. One member has posted about use of RVMs, I guess the cause of maximum number of road accidents in our country is owing to non use of RVMs while changing lanes.

Often you will see motorbike users RVMs will not be there and even if it is available, it will be pointing in some other directions. The mirrors will not be cleaned. I guess if you focus on these two points along with smiling while on road shall cut the deal.

Keep revvin,
MDED

[Debashis_1]

Hi Barcalad,
It's a moment of great honour that TBHP members are invited to give awareness session on safe motorcycling on Indian roads. I'm looking forward to watch the show. I have below points which could helpful in sharing with viewers. (I know you are looking for questions. thought I should give you some examples.

Safety:
1. Extra cautious while driving at night: I have faced injuries(Dislocated shoulder, multiple scratches) while travelling at night. (RVM got brushed with plastic drum driven by a dim witted moped rider without any lights. He was driving on the wrong side road on a high way. Can you imagine ). Lucky for me I was wearing helmet.

2. Another danger bikers face is Potholes and uneven roads: I have seen bikers completely thrown out of balance and getting seriously injured on multiple cases. Pillion riders without helmets suffer the most.

3. Medical condition: People with history of feats should avoid driving motorcycle. Again seen people getting seriously injured due to it.

4. Overtaking heavy vehicles and buses: Several times people put their lives in danger without evaluating the consequence of overtaking buses/heavy vehicles just to reach their destination few minutes earlier. One of our lady associate got crushed under a bus while overtaking it on the left side two years back.


Thanks,
Debashis_1

[Urban_Nomad]

Just WOW. What an opportunity. Great work both of yous

You have pretty much covered everything that is worth discussing. Just my 2 cents here:

- While it is important to talk about safety especially when it comes to riding gear, Do not make it a "safety overload". Think about the "smoking kills" warning we keep hearing ever so often. How impactful do you think it really is? Our junta has a knack for keeping their own well being at the bottom of their priorities in life. Instead, try and focus on what else riding gear brings to the table. One key thing here - comfort. Focus on that. A helmet protects your eyes from dirt and flying stones, making you not just safe but comfortable. Gloves will help you grip the bars better than a sweaty pair of hands besides protecting your skin. Same for shoes instead of flip flops. I am sure you get the drift
- Try and focus on the positive aspects of motorcycling. Its more efficient, economical and most of all ..... FUN way to go about your business. It'll be amazing if you are able to bring a few cagers over to the dark side

All the best! Look forward to the broadcast

[blackwasp]

Please do recommend MSF literature for reading. They have a lot of good tips regarding being safe as a rider as well as when you are in a car. It has been a good source of information for me. Also please highlight use of proper gear for the pillion as well.

Do let us know the schedule of the program as well. Thanks.

[outofthebox]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Please do recommend MSF literature for reading.

Pardon my ignorance sir but please can you elaborate a bit on MSF literature? What does it stand for and where can one take a peep? Many thanks for your suggestions btw.

[a4anurag]

Congratulations on getting the opportunity to address the masses and hope there is some kind of sense dawned in the mind of riders to get safer and saner.

Originally Posted by outofthebox

Pardon my ignorance sir but please can you elaborate a bit on MSF literature?

MSF - Motorcycle Safety Foundation

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) is a United States national, not-for-profit organization, founded in 1973, and sponsored by the U.S. manufacturers and distributors of BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Piaggio /Vespa, Suzuki, Triumph, Polaris and Yamaha. MSF maintains rider training curricula used in most states for novice and experienced riders.

The MSF fosters a "ride safe" attitude, and promotes life long learning for motorcyclists. It also participates in government relations, motorcycle safety research, public awareness campaigns and technical assistance to state training and licensing programs.

You can read more here for basic information.

SOURCE: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moto...ety_Foundation

[barcalad]

Update

Owing to the Prime Minister's "Mann ki Baat" and the Union Budget hubbub, our interview has been shifted to this coming Sunday, whereas the recording will be done on Saturday.

The tentative question list has 8 questions - we have strived our best to accommodate each and every point we could find from the overwhelming responses here. Each question has to be answered in detail for a minimum 2.5 minutes before moving on to the next. R&D, Nervousness and Framing-Reframing the answers going on with full power!

Hoping for the best!

[barcalad]

Update

The big day is here. Recording commences at AIR Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi from 4:30 PM.
Me and outofthebox practicing, exchanging answers and discussing points like engineering students who freak out for their exam at the last moment.

[ArizonaJim]

As a latecomer to this discussion, I'll just toss out a few things.

• Trust NO ONE to act predictably. They will always do the wrong thing at the wrong time.

• Always be aware of the condition of the road ahead of you. Sand, loose dirt, wet or oily patches and potholes can usually be avoided if they are noticed soon enough.

• Animals will often run out in front of you. Don't trust them and be prepared to use avoidance procedures.

• If stopped at a traffic light, green does not mean go until you have checked both directions to see if everyone is stopping.

• Use your front brake. It provides 80 percent of your stopping power.

• On smooth, dry tarmac, your motorcycle can stop faster than automobiles. Be aware of those behind you.

• Engine case guards protect the engine in a crash. They do not protect the riders legs so as the motorcycle is falling, get your leg out from under the bike.

• Every rider will eventually crash so always wear protective gear, even for short rides.

I have a few thousand more suggestions that I have learned in the past 50 years of riding but if the above points are remembered and used most rides will be trouble free and enjoyable.

[adrian]

Originally Posted by barcalad

Update

The big day is here. Recording commences at AIR Bhawan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi from 4:30 PM.
Me and outofthebox practicing, exchanging answers and discussing points like engineering students who freak out for their exam at the last moment.

So, how did the whole thing go ?

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by adrian

So, how did the whole thing go ?

To begin with, I made a mess out of the opening question () but a retake was done where I smashed it. The other questions were answered by both of us in a great way as well. Yes, I was nervous during the initial stages.

It was surprising how the whole thing was. It was like a conversation between three people being recorded on tape. It was casual, had wee bits of humour, had counter questions too and was overall an awesome experience.

I have got the raw unedited tape with me and I observed that as the questions pick up, both of us have done a pretty neat job with answering them. Unfortunately, won't be able to share it here (legal issues) unless it's broadcasted first, which will be done probably by the end of this month of 1st week of April. It will be in North India first and then perhaps to the other states and countries.

The permitted air time for us was 25 minutes but our overall recording stands at 38 minutes (including retakes) which means there will be a good amount of editing to make it cent perfect.

Initial reports from the AIR office are outstanding. People there have loved it and if the almighty shows his grace & things go the way they have been going so far, we'll get the prime time slot for the broadcast.

[Red Liner]

This is amazing barca! Congratulations man, both you guys deserve the accolades! Can't wait to hear the unedited version though... Lol.

[barcalad]

Update

It's finally been made official. We've got ourselves the PRIME TIME!

Our Interview will be broad-casted in North India on Sunday (20th March) at 9:30 PM on AM 666 kHz.

For the convenience of all of my fellow Bhpians, I will be posting the audio link of the Interview here on this thread within 5 minutes of it's broadcast ending on air.

Also, there's a possibility that it will be broad-casted in other states and in other nations on a later date. Shall update as and when I get information on that.

Spread the word and do tune in (if you get the frequency)!