One week, five dead, two hurt

Middle-aged motorcyclists are ‘‘chasing the rush’’ but do not have the skills to avoid dangers, a motorcycle safety instructor says.

Five people died and two were seriously injured after a spate of motorcycle crashes this past week. Police are still investigating the causes of the crashes; one Christchurch case on Monday last week involved a driver turning in front of a motorcyclist on a hill, and another on Friday involved a driver in a stolen car.

Police Minister Stuart Nash and Police Association president Chris Cahill said yesterday the road toll was nearing crisis point and anecdotal evidence suggested middle-aged men were involved in most of the accidents.

‘‘Dare I say it, it’s a lot of men going through a sort of midlife crisis,’’ Nash told TVNZ. ‘‘They go out there and buy a big powerful bike and they just haven’t got the skills and experience to handle it when they get into trouble and they kill themselves.’’

Christchurch man Dan Ornsby has been riding and racing motorcycles since the age of 10 and has run safety training courses for about five years. A lot of riders with bad riding habits were middle-aged men, he said.

‘‘The kids have just left home so a lot of them go out and buy a Harley and other big bikes.

‘‘They are scared and intimidated of the bike because they don’t have the skills and the confidence to ride them.’’

Ornsby said many older riders got their licence earlier in life and then tried to ride again without refreshing their memory of the road rules. ‘‘People are out there chasing the rush and are not aware of the dangers out there.’’

Motorcycling Advisory Council chairman Mark Gilbert said there was no denying people over 50 was contributing to a high number of accidents. He said if more bikers took part in professional training courses and stopped speeding they could reduce the risk of fatal crashes. ‘‘You can’t go and drive a race car without having a race car licence and some of these bikes are sort of off-the-shelf race bikes.’’

Gilbert said he was opposed to enforcing regulations on the purchasing of powerful motorcycles.

Decreased stability, and less protection and visibility made motorcycling more risky..

The deadly week of crashes began when Kyle John McKitterick died on his 48th birthday in a crash on Dyers Pass Rd, outside Christchurch, on November 12. He collided with a van that was turning into a driveway as he rode up the hill towards the city.

Six days later, a disqualified driver was behind the wheel of a stolen car when the car and a motorcycle collided in Sydenham, killing passenger Joshua Smith, 32, and injuring the motorcyclist.

The following day four bikers were killed in crashes. One of the riders, Jayne Jamieson, 52, was taking part in the Tribute 29 Pike River Memorial Run on the West Coast, two were involved in a charity event in Southland, while another person died just over two hours later in Auckland.

The causes of most of these crashes have not yet been determined.