Biker jailed for high-speed crash (From Swindon Advertiser)

Biker jailed for high-speed crash

8:59am Wednesday 11th October 2006 in News By Gareth Bethell

A BIKER who was nearly killed in a 100mph crash has been jailed for eight months for dangerous driving.

Martin Cairns was racing a Porsche on a busy dual carriageway at up to 100mph when his bike smashed into the back of another car.

And after he had been airlifted to hospital in a critical condition police found the tinted visor on his helmet allowed through a fraction of the amount of light required by law.

Kirsty Real, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court the 48-year-old was riding a Buell south on the A419 near Swindon.

She said witnesses described seeing a Porsche drive up behind two motorcycles. The driver made a gesture to the bikers as he passed before one of the bikes raced ahead of the car which then overtook again.

Cairns was riding within three feet of the Porsche at speeds of 80mph to 100mph, Miss Real told the court.

The driver braked and avoiding the rear of the sports car Cairns smashed into the back of a red Rover in the inside lane. He was flung from his bike and seriously injured. He was taken by helicopter to the Great Western Hospital.

The driver of the Rover suffered whiplash and sleepless nights as a result of the crash.

Miss Real said police described the bike as tatty' but there was nothing mechanically wrong with it.

But she said the visor on his helmet was tinted and dirty allowing only nine per cent of light through, the legal minimum is 70 per cent. When it was cleaned it still only allowed through 11 per cent.

When questioned by police Cairns said he could remember nothing of the crash.

The court heard he had been banned for 42 days in 2000 for speeding and had two other previous convictions for speeding.

Cairns, of Treherne Road, Coventry, admitted dangerous driving.

Richard Williams, defending, said his client was in hospital for 13 days after the crash and suffered fractures to his ribs and knee.

A police investigator estimated the speed of impact with the car was 85mph.

He said his client worked for Coventry City Council as a driver for special needs children and would lose his job as he would have to be disqualified.

Although the visor on his helmet was illegal he said his client insisted he could see through it and used it in bright sunshine. On the day of the smash he said he was going from his home in Coventry to a wedding in Southampton.

Judge Tom Longbotham jailed Cairns and banned him from the road for three years. He was ordered to take an extended retest before getting his licence back.