Skip to main content

Improving safety for motorcyclists in the UK

A new safety campaign in the UK is commencing that is focussing on car drivers. These drivers are being urged to visualise the motorcycle rider and take more care at junctions. This campaign has been timed to coincide with the anticipated increase in the numbers of motorcyclists returning to the roads during the second quarter of 2013. This campaign encourages drivers to take longer to look for motorcyclists and think about the biker, not just the bike. Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond said, “Motorcycli
March 14, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
A new safety campaign in the UK is commencing that is focussing on car drivers. These drivers are being urged to visualise the motorcycle rider and take more care at junctions. This campaign has been timed to coincide with the anticipated increase in the numbers of motorcyclists returning to the roads during the second quarter of 2013. This campaign encourages drivers to take longer to look for motorcyclists and think about the biker, not just the bike. Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond said, “Motorcyclists account for just 1% of traffic but 19% of deaths on Britain’s roads and 30 bikers are killed or injured in accidents at junctions every day.”

Accident statistics show that motorists pulling out in front of motorcyclists are a major cause of deaths and injuries. Wider research shows that drivers are more likely to notice motorcyclists on the roads if they know a biker themselves. In 2011, 5,609 motorcyclists were killed or seriously injured with 74% of these occurring in accidents involving another vehicle, and 69% of these casualties happened at junctions. The number of accidents increases significantly during March and April as improved weather encourages more motorcyclists onto the road.

Related Content

  • Crash injury risks vary between males and females
    March 1, 2021
    Crash injury risks vary between males and females in the US according to research.
  • Safety concern for mobility scooter users
    August 11, 2025
    There is safety concern for the UK’s mobility scooter users.
  • Better road safety reduces Europe’s casualty figures
    October 2, 2014
    Improving road safety in the EU has resulted in a drop in the fatality rate. Official figures just released show that the number of people killed on Europe's roads fell by 8% in 2013. This follows on from the drop in fatalities of between 2011 and 2012 and Europe is on track to halve road deaths in the 2010-2020 period Figures released by the European Commission provide grounds for optimism and Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) said, “We welcome the reductio
  • Distraction poses increasing risk to driving safety
    July 21, 2014
    In the UK a number of road safety campaigning groups are warning that driver distraction from mobile phones will become a bigger killer than drink driving by 2015. While cellphone use by drivers is banned in the UK, penalties are still light and enforcement lax. Drivers still frequently use cellphones while behind the wheel. Suggestions have been made to double the penalties facing offenders, but if this ruling is accepted it will still take time to implement. And some say these tougher penalties are still