Campaign launched to keep motorcyclists safe this summer
15/07/2010 10:45:13
A joint campaign by Surrey Police and Surrey County Council to keep motorcyclists safe by encouraging bikers to ride protected and other motorists to look for bikes.
THREE quarters of all serious motorcycle collisions involve a vehicle, usually a car. This national statistic has prompted Surrey Police and Surrey County Council to launch, as part of the Drive SMART initiative, a campaign to keep motorcyclists safe in Surrey this summer.
From today, hard hitting images on bus backs across the county, along with a radio advertisement on local stations, will urge motorists to ‘Look for Bikes’ and remind riders to ‘Ride Protected’. Billboards on routes with high motorcyclist casualty rates will also carry the messages, as will phone boxes in the town centres of areas with the highest motorcycle collision rates.
To help get the message across to younger riders, those on Facebook who click through from the targeted screen adverts to the Drive SMART website will be able enter a competition offering them the chance to win protective clothing.
In 2009 there were 538 motorcyclist casualties in Surrey. Of these 153 were killed or seriously injured (ksi). Riders aged between 16 and 20 accounted for 27 per cent of the casualties. With around 75 per cent of serious collisions nationally involving a vehicle, drivers are being reminded to look carefully for motorbikes and mopeds, particularly at junctions.
In addition, Surrey officers will be visiting popular motorcyclist meeting points Box Hill and Newlands Corner throughout July and August, talking to them about riding safely and the importance of wearing protective clothing and at the same time promoting Surrey BikeSafe.
Inspector Chris Colley, from Surrey's Roads Policing Unit, said: “Our proactive approach to improving road safety throughout the past few years has had a significant impact on the overall number of fatalities in the county. As more motorcyclists take to the roads in the warm summer weather, Surrey Roads Policing officers will again be working on initiatives aimed at further reducing road deaths through enforcement, education and discretion.
“Our advice to motorcyclists is to ride safely – wear protective clothing and expect the unexpected – and our message to drivers is to look out for bikes. All road users in the county need to know that bad driving or riding won’t be tolerated.”
Dr Andrew Povey, Leader of Surrey County Council, added: “The warm weather means more motorcyclists are taking to the roads so I would urge all road users to take extra care and keep an eye out for bikes. Motorcyclists themselves can increase their safety by driving safely and wearing protective clothing.”