Highways England takes safety message to motorcyclists

Tens of thousands of motorcyclists and motor-racing fans are expected to flock to the Northamptonshire racetrack over the weekend of 19 to 21 April.

Along with representatives from BikeSafe, the DocBike charity and Biker Down initiative, Highways England will also be there to advise visitors and enrol motorcyclists on potentially life-saving courses.

Highways England is committed to ‘safer vehicles, safer roads and safer people’ in an effort to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured across the network by 40 per cent by 2020.

Motorcyclists account for just one per cent of road users but 25 per cent of serious injuries.

Highways England is targeting young riders with its Distressed campaign. This aims to promote behavioural change with a focus on the need for appropriate personal protective clothing. The campaign features the Distressed clothing range, each item has a ‘price tag’ swapping monetary value for a range of possible injuries a rider could suffer in a collision.

Visitors to the stand will also be given details about the Highways England app which is able to provide a GPS reference for road users who need help, often on remote A roads.

Traffic officers will be on hand to share the benefit of their experience and giving advice on what to do if your vehicle breaks down on the Highways England network while there will also be information about the Stay Safe, Stay Back tailgating campaign.