British Superbike star Tommy Hill

The Highways Agency has developed a series of driver information programmes to raise awareness and educate people about road safety. Part of the Department for Transport’s road safety initiatives, they also “drive home” the possible deadly consequences of dangerous driving. Great Roads, Great Rides Safety information for bikers The casualty rate for motorcycle riders is 35 times higher than for people in cars. In response to this startling statistic, the Highways Agency worked closely with bikers and road safety experts to gather advice, information and best practice on riding safely.

In July this year, Minister for Road Safety Dr Stephen Ladyman launched the Great Roads, Great Rides DVD safety package aimed at motorcyclists. With help from British Superbike star Tommy Hill, the Cleveland Motorcycle Training Scheme and the Cleveland Police Traffic Section, the DVD sends the message to bikers: “Enjoy the freedom of the open road, but do it safely.”

The DVD has been well received by biking enthusiasts and organisations. 125,000 copies were distributed on the cover of August’s edition of BIKE magazine. The Driving Standards Agency will distribute 30,000 copies to new riders and 5,000 copies will be attached to Bikeress, a new magazine for female riders. BikeSafe has been given 7,000 copies and some areas have used sections of the DVD for their courses, and the Institute of Advanced Motorcyclists has also expressed interest in the DVD.

The DVD takes riders step by step through everything they need to know to enjoy the best and safest riding on UK roads. Its 14 chapters cover everything from advice on basic maintenance checks and what kit to wear; through to how to read and negotiate the road, how to ride safely with a group and what to do if you’re the first on the scene of a crash.

Techniques such as aerial photography and bikemounted cameras, together with running commentary and interviews with experts, guide riders on what to look for and how to find the safest position on the road.

Before you set off

The best safety advice the Highways Agency can offer is: plan your journey! The Agency has developed a range of information services that are accessible via the phone, web, radio and television. Drivers can even use one of the many interactive information points located at service areas adjacent to the motorways. By planning the journey using live, accurate travel information, bikers can be prepared for the weather and avoid traffic hot-spots.

Riders are also advised to look over their bike thoroughly, checking for any potential problems with petrol, electronics, water, oil, chain, brakes or tyres. Kit should be high visibility, in good condition and appropriate for the weather conditions.

See it, plan it, position for it, do it

Bikers might be surprised that in skills enhancement courses, only 10% of the course content relates to handling skills. The other 90% is about how to read the road to use your skills more effectively. Course participants in the DVD were amazed at the results.

The mantra is: see it; plan it; position for it; and do it. The key is not to get too fixated by what is right in front of you. Scan the road and around you as wide as you can to identify potential hazards. Driving too close to the vehicle in front can greatly reduce your view of the road, so it pays to stay a bit further back. When overtaking, remember – just because you’ve seen the vehicle in front, it doesn’t mean that it’s seen you. Look on both sides then hold a wide position so the driver can see you. Once you’ve seen the driver look into the wing mirror, you know you can overtake without giving the driver a shock.

Learning how to identify the “limit point” will help bikers know when to reduce speed to navigate a bend and when it is safe to give a bit more power. The limit point is the point on the road ahead where one side of the road appears to touch the other. When that point appears far in the distance, the road is straight. Where it gets closer, it means the road’s going to bend. If the limit point is coming towards you, it’s a sign of a sharp bend and an early warning to slow down.

Group riding

Starting a ride in a group and finishing a ride in a group are two very different things. Dangers can arise as separated riders try to re-group, tending to take more risks than they otherwise would. Planning the ride can mitigate risks, even if it is just a verbal plan so all riders know where they are going and where they can stop to re-group. Swap mobile phone numbers for emergency contact. Also plan the positions in the group, taking into account the capability of both the riders and their bikes. One of the more capable riders should ride towards the back. But everyone should always ride for themselves. Follow-my-leader causes riders to take risks in an effort to keep up.

By always keeping the rider behind you in your mirrors you can slow down when you haven’t seen the bike behind for a while and speed up when they are visible again.

Now That’s What I Call Worst Hits! Safety information for young drivers

Young people aged 16 to 19 years old are more likely to be killed or seriously injured on England’s motorways and major A roads than any other age group. As new drivers, they are often unaware of potential hazards and yet are more likely to take risks. In an effort to reduce the number of deaths and injuries among young people, the Highways Agency has developed a new DVD.

Cartoon characters Gaz, Shaz and Chaz star in Now That’s What I call Worst Hits! The DVD features a state-ofthe- art fusion of 2D and 3D graphics to present the most likely crash scenarios in a contemporary “top 10” style. It is narrated by the actor Tom Baker, best known as the “voice” of Little Britain. The DVD aims to generate discussion about good and bad driving habits. It sets out the 10 most common accident scenarios likely to involve young drivers – and their consequences.

Police crash scene investigators helped us to identify the most common pitfalls for young drivers, including: overtaking on roundabouts; not concentrating on the road ahead; lane hopping; driver and/or passengers not wearing seatbelts; a right turn across traffic; overtaking a vehicle that’s waiting to turn right; taking bends too fast; and collision at a junction.

In each scenario, players have three possible actions, one of them safe, two of them risky. They make their choice and then see the consequences of their actions. Now that’s what I call Worst Hits! is designed for use in an educational setting and is supported by the Driving Standards Agency and the Department for Transport’s Think! road safety campaign. Copies of the DVD have been made available to organisations working with young people, including the fire service, police and local authorities.

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