Take another Look

The Amey and Central Bedfordshire Council partnership launched its ‘Take another look’ campaign on 11th May 2011, which encourages car drivers to look thoroughly for motorcyclists whilst on the roads. By raising car drivers’ awareness of motorcyclists, it aims to improve biker’s safety on the roads across the county.

Statistics for 2010 (the most recent full year’s data) show that in four out of five cases where motorcyclists were killed on Central Bedfordshire roads, another vehicle was involved.

At the launch event on Wednesday 11th May, which coincided with the global launch of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety, Central Bedfordshire Council, Amey, local organisations and individuals came together at Toddington Service Station on the M1 to demonstrate their long-term support.

The ‘Take another look’ campaign saw the launch of www.seeingbikers.com, a website which provides information, research and the theory behind the reasons why motorists might not see motorcyclists on the roads. Factors such as ‘motion camouflage’, conspicuity and inattentional blindness are explained and real life stories of local bikers that have lost their lives on the roads are used to bring home the message ‘Take another look’.

Sun visor stickers were also distributed to local businesses within Central Bedfordshire, to offer a reminder to drivers to be aware of motorcyclists at all times. Roadside posters were also displayed across the county for a six-week period at sites with an ‘other road user at fault’ collision history to further raise awareness.

The ‘Take another look’ campaign was independently evaluated by the University of Bedfordshire and preliminary finding suggest that more than half of driver’s surveyed had seen the road side posters and it was ascertained that 54.4% recalled a message asking them to look out for bikers.