The Shiny Side Up Partnership is a long-established motorcycle road safety partnership which has been working tirelessly across the East Midlands to cut the number of motorcycle collisions and casualties across the road network.
The Partnership was formed in 2002 in response to unacceptably high numbers of motorcycle deaths which were predominately sports bike riders. Over the past 18 years they have identified and reacted to a changing motorcycle scene with less leisure but more commuter riders being killed and seriously injured in road crashes.
Based in the East Midlands but increasingly seen as ‘best practise’ across the country, the partnership comprises a group of professionals from road safety, accident investigation, police road policing teams and fire & rescue services.
The name Shiny Side Up was chosen to reflect the bikers’ saying ‘keep your shiny side up’ – implying that the rubber side should stay firmly on the road!
The Partnership has distributed over half a million ‘Think Bike’ stickers, ‘Think Bike’ Backpacks, ‘Filter with Care’ keyrings and snoods to riders and drivers.
It supports Biker Egg and Christmas Toy runs, Blood Bikes, Biker Down courses, Christian Motorcyclists Association, Blue Knights motorcycle clubs, Approved Bike Training Schools and motorcycle retailers.
During the Covid –19 pandemic it supported NHS and other key workers who were commuting to work on their motorcycles by giving them ‘Think Bike’ high vis backpacks, vests and snoods.
Shiny Side Up signs, which carry messages to inform both rider and driver, are placed on routes which are known ‘hotspots’ for biker crashes. These signs and their messages are well-recognised and have helped to reduce casualties on the routes concerned.
The campaign also includes reports on riders’ attitudes, short films and adverts which spell out the main dangers they face. Partners are currently working with the Road Safety Trust to produce an animated 3D version of ‘Know the Dangers’ which has been a popular road resource downloaded for free from its website www.shinysideup.co.uk
For more details visit the website and contact the Shiny Side Up Partnership Facilitator (details below).
Contacts
Heidi Duffy MBE
Shiny Side Up Partnership Facilitator
E: Email
W: shinysideup.co.uk