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

  • Australia’s road safety problems are a cause for concern
    January 23, 2019
    The Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) has highlighted key problems with road safety. According to the ARRB, these issues must be addressed if Australia’s road casualty rate is to be reduced. Road death tolls are being reduced as he latest results show, but more work needs to be done. According to the ARRB, the road death tolls in Victoria dropped 20% for 2018 when compared with the previous year. This is a major improvement, showing the gains made by Victoria’s road agency VicRoads and the state’s Tr
  • Road safety improving, but vulnerable road users need protection
    January 11, 2013
    Preliminary data from France over the number of fatalities on the road network reveal safety improvements during 2012. The numbers killed dropped by 7-8%, although the final figures for December are not yet available. The preliminary figures suggest that around 3,600-3,700 were killed on French roads in 2012, compared with 3,970 in 2011. This reduction is in line with targets on cutting the death rate and Ministry of the Interior wants to bring the fatality rate to just 2,000 by 2020. This reduction has bee
  • Stronger crash barriers may be needed for heavier trucks
    January 4, 2013
    The European Road Federation (ERF) has voiced its concern that roadside barriers in Europe may have to be upgraded According to the ERF, the recent decision of the European Commission to allow cross-border movement of longer and heavier trucks, it is keen to raise awareness of the important implications such a move may have for road barriers. ‘Road safety barriers are designed and tested according to the maximum weight of vehicles circulating on Europe’s roads. The current European Norm (EN 1317) allows for
  • Bangkok biker safety programme unveiled
    July 26, 2016
    The authorities in Thai capital Bangkok are launching a new mass media campaign aimed at increasing awareness around helmet use. This is a critical road safety issue in a country where over 60% of motorists use motorcycles. In collaboration with Vital Strategies and the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), Bangkok’s campaign will encourage motorcyclists to wear helmets. The campaign will also encourage powered two wheeler riders to properly fasten helmet buckles, a key compone