Dial ‘D’ for Danger – MAG highlights risks of driving & dialling


MAG has held a vigil to highlight the danger of driving and dialling – and has invited drivers to think twice about the potentially lethal risks.

Every year, a large number of motorcyclists are killed or serious injured by drivers who are distracted by their mobile phones.  The situation has become so bad that a group of Kent bikers has held a vigil to invite drivers to reconsider the risks they take by phoning and driving at the same time.

Steve Mallett, Paul Hoskins and Michaela Blackford – all from MAG – were joined by others from Reca’s community biker café for the vigil.  Steve says: ‘we had a meeting recently, and what was striking was the number of riders who had been nearly, or actually, knocked off their bikes by careless drivers who were busy using their phones illegally instead of concentrating on the road.  That’s why we decided it was time to get drivers to recognise the risk they are exposing other people to by focusing on their phone instead of driving.’

While most drivers were behaving entirely responsibly, the vigil, which took place on 19th November at St Peter’s Bridge in Maidstone on the A229 at one point recorded 3 phone users in a 5 minute period.  ‘We got lots of positive feedback from hooting and waving motorists and the feedback from pedestrians was 100% favourable.  They agree that drivers flaunting the law are gambling with the lives of others for the sake of a phone call or text.  Knocking someone off their bike and then saying ‘sorry mate, I didn’t see you’ is no compensation when you’ve been seriously injured with life threatening or life changing injuries.

We’re happy to co-exist on the roads, but please, let’s do it safely.
Is that too much to ask?’

Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or central-office@mag-uk.org