A British tourist was killed in a horror motorcycle crash as he rode without a helmet while holidaying in Thailand.
Regan Kelly, 28, from London, lost control of his rented motorcycle and crashed through the guardrails along the curved Wichit Songkhram Road in Phuket on January 4.
Terrifying CCTV footage shows the rider, who had not been wearing a helmet, skidding across the pavement before plunging down the 20ft slope.
Regan – who also went by the name Corey Gorge Beavis – suffered severe head injuries after smashing into a metal pipe on the way down.
Police Captain Adisorn Juhong of the Kathu District Police Station said officers dashed to the scene after receiving a report at 7:30am.
He said: ‘The deceased was a 28-year-old British man. His name was Corey Gorge Beavis but he was also known as Regan.
‘The autopsy result is pending, so we do not yet know the cause of the accident’.
Riding a motorcycle is a risk. I teach this stuff. I’ve been riding for fifty years this summer. It comes with hazards attached. Some you can manage, others, well, maybe less so. However, there are certain activities that will inevitably heighten that risk. I would never ride without a helmet. Not because I think they can be relied upon in the event of an accident – above around 30mph, their effect is probably minimal – but at low speeds, they could well make a difference. Besides, they make the ride more comfortable.
Like a lot of people I see on the roads here, he was riding in T shirt and shorts. Again, I value my skin, so prefer to wear clothing that protects it. However, we don’t know what caused this accident. He appears to have lost it on a bend. Riding too fast for the conditions? Maybe. Poorly maintained machine? Also, maybe. Either way, I would never rent out a scooter at a holiday destination. Nor would I ride without being suitably equipped. One final point here, did he ever have any rider training? An awful lot of folk who come in for CBT are hopeless. They cannot balance, cannot ride the machine under control in a straight line and cannot brake effectively. Very few understand how counter steering works and in recent years, I decline more CBTs than I issue.
I’ll put my money on this one being self inflicted.
I follow a US blogger who likes to post sets of ten gifs. These are of all kinds of random things but idiot pratfalls make up a lot of the content. Many of these involve small motorbikes and scooters in the hands of people who really have no effing idea.
Further to the above post, here is the latest gif dump. This time it appears to be a quad.
https://ogdaa.blogspot.com/2025/01/wednesdays-gifs.html?m=1
Brits who toddle off to Thailand under assumed names generally end up in the news, one way or another.
I have had my license since 1983.
I rode several times in the US without a helmet (in nice weather) and I found that it was a lot nicer, quieter and you are a lot more aware of your surroundings. Accordingly, I also rode a lot more defensively than I would normally do.
Here, I would probably never not wear one because of the weather, the amount of dust in the air that hits you in the face and the fact that I ride fastish. Sometimes in nice weather, I would like the option. Again, my riding would be a lot more relaxed.
That said, it should be a personal decision.
I agree that it should be a personal decision. The helmet law was the foot in the door for all sorts of nannying legislation.
But do you remember they made an exception for Sikhs in turbans? What does that bring to mind for today?
And kosher slaughter of animals for the Jews was the thin end of the wedge that has led to us all eating Halal meat whether we want to or not.
“He was riding in T shirt and shorts”. The scars and missing patches of skin are known as “Thailand tattoos”, usually displayed by young tourists, at least, the ones who live.
“…riding in T shirt and shorts…”
Whenever I see somebody dressed like that riding a motorcycle I always thing “That’s going to hurt when he/she falls off”. Note “when”, not “if”, because it happens to the best of us.
As for CBT candidates not understanding counter steering, just ask some experienced motorcyclists to explain it and you’ll realise it’s not just beginners who don’t understand it.