Family of Milton Keynes man killed in crash calls for tighter road safety measures to protect motorcyclists

The family of Ross Goulding, a 24-year-old man from Milton Keynes killed in a road traffic collision, has called for greater road safety provisions to protect vulnerable road users.

Tragically it is the second time the family has lost a loved one on the roads. For Ross’s father, Shane Goulding, was killed in a road collision while riding his motorbike in 2014.

Their call comes as the driver of the Jaguar XJ that hit Ross, Mr Roderick Hamilton of Shenley Wood Retirement Village, was today (Thursday) sentenced to two years suspended sentence after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

He was given a 12 month curfew and disqualified for five years.

Ross was travelling home on his black Honda CB1000 motorcycle in June 2021 when Mr Hamilton’s vehicle crashed into him on the V8 at the junction of Waterside and Peartree Bridge.

He suffered catastrophic injuries and sadly died shortly after arriving at MK Hospital.

The incident happened at approximately 7:15pm, causing the Goulding family to question whether better safety provisions, such as a different coloured headlight, would make it easier to spot motorcyclists at night, or among the many modern vehicles that have daytime running lights, and help to prevent similar incidents.

The family also calls for better training for drivers on how to behave near motorbikes, similar to the specific guidance provided for treatment of other vulnerable road users like horse riders, pedestrians and cyclists.

Anne-Marie Goulding, Ross’ mother, said: “Losing a loved one so suddenly is a horrendous experience. Losing two in very similar circumstances has been almost impossible to reconcile with.

“Motorcyclists are much more vulnerable on the road than car users, yet there’s very little training given to drivers or additional safety measures in place to protect them. Having an appreciation of how different types of vehicles are likely to behave on the roads is essential to ensuring the safety of others – much more needs to be done to make the roads motorbike friendly.”

Matthew Claxson, partner at law firm Moore Barlow who represented the Goulding family, said: “This is yet another case where the family of a motorcyclist has been left bereaved as the result of a road crash that could have been avoided.

"Had Mr Hamilton been more conscientious and changed his behaviour to account for a different type of road user, the outcome that day might have been very different. The case also highlights the importance of drivers notifying the DVLA of any reportable medical conditions.

“The design of the dual carriageway has been altered since the loss of Ross but there are a number of similar carriageways where modification may be appropriate. The road safety campaign ‘Think Once, Think Twice, Think Bike!’ remains as relevant today as it’s ever been.

“Time and again, we see collisions where a car driver comes out relatively unscathed and a motorcyclist loses their life. If it were any other type of road user involved – pedal cyclists, pedestrians or horse riders – there would be strict road etiquette to follow. Yet there is little additional emphasis put on protecting motorcyclists in how we train new drivers or in the laws that govern use of our roads.”