Motorcyclists reminded to ride safely

In partnership with Amey, the ‘Riders’ scheme is borne out of research conducted over the last five years to identify the styles of riding that frequently feature in road accidents.

Special road signs are also being installed.

For information visit www.motorcyclingmatters.org.

The ‘Riders’ campaign, in partnership with highways service provider Amey, follows research collected over the last five years across Central Bedfordshire to help identify styles of riding that frequently feature in road traffic accidents, such as, cornering, speed and overtaking. Research also found that 27% of serious motorcycle accidents involved only motorcyclists, either riding individually or as a group, who had not come into conflict with another road user.

Using this data, specific locations where motorcyclists were not assessing and reacting to the location in the most appropriate manner have been identified and as part of the campaign, road signs are being installed at these locations bearing the messages:

* Safe Speed?’ – is the motorcyclist riding at an appropriate speed for the road and local conditions

* ‘Safe Overtake’ – is it safe, necessary or legal to overtake the obstruction

* ‘Correct Position?’ – is the motorcyclist correctly positioned for the bend in the road

* ‘Ride with Respect’ - encouraging thoughtful road sharing and safe riding.

These signs will act as a reminder to motorcyclists of the potential for an accident and to encourage motorcyclists to review their riding style, ensuring they ride appropriately for the particular hazard they are faced with. This reassessment of riding style will hopefully lead to a reduction in motorcycle accidents on Central Bedfordshire’s roads.

Cllr Brian Spurr, Executive Member for Sustainable Communities Services at Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “We are committed to improving road safety across the county for all road users. The Riders campaign aims to encourage motorcyclists to review their own riding style and behaviour on the road to reduce the possibility of being involved in a road traffic accident. Improved assessment of road conditions will help motorcyclists to plan ahead, giving them more time to make decisions when faced with a variety of road situations.”

Motorcyclists can find further information on motorcycling, including training opportunities at www.motorcyclingmatters.org