Motorcyclist safety campaign launched

Date: 26/2/2010

A new £3.5 million Think! television campaign launched today is working to save motorcyclists’ lives by drawing drivers’ attention to their personalities.

The advertisements will feature bikers with lit signs attached showing their names and a description of them, like "shy, retiring type" or "new dad".

Following research that showed that drivers who know a biker are more likely to notice motorcyclists on the road, Think! decided to use this to try to reduce the group’s high casualty figures.

Making up just one per cent of traffic, motorcyclists account for 19 per cent of British road deaths.

Road Safety Minister Paul Clark said: "Previous adverts have warned drivers to look out for bikes in specific situations such as at T-junctions or in their blind spots and showed the deadly consequences of failing to do so. This exciting new campaign goes a step further by asking drivers to reconsider the way they look at bikers."

In other news from the Department for Transport, new measures that will allow motorists using the Severn Crossings to pay tolls by credit or debit card have been put to Parliament by transport minister Sadiq Khan.

The regulations are expected to come into force on March 19th.