Motorcyclists continue to be disproportionately represented in casualty statistics accounting for 17 per cent of fatalities.

With 585 bikers killed and 6,063 seriously injured in 2004, bringing the figures down is a top priority for the Department of Transport's THINK! campaign.

Figures show that 73 per cent of all crashes involving a two-wheeled motor vehicle also involved a car.

The most common cause of motorcycle crashes is a 'right of way violation'. Most of these occur at T-junctions and it's usually the motorist - rather than the biker - at fault.

These crashes happen despite the fact the motorcyclist should be in clear view.

Always take a second look at junctions before you pull out. Be aware of the so-called "A" posts on your vehicle. They divide the windscreen from the side window and can conceal an on-coming bike, although they are only narrow.

That bike may or may not have its headlight on. But it is not as big as, or the same shape as, a bus or a car, and so it is very easy to miss it at first glance.

As the old slogan used to put it: Think Once, Think Twice, Think Bike.