Surrey Police is asking other road users to look out for motorcyclists after it launched a new campaign encouraging them to take #OneExtraLook for us.
Its launch coincided with a national two-wheel safety campaign co-ordinated by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).
It features an emotive video of a young person asking car and van drivers to ‘take one extra look’ for her daddy, who is a biker.
The video hopes to prompt a change in road users’ behaviour by encouraging them to take time at junctions to save the lives of motorcyclists.
Surrey Police says it is on a mission to crack down on the number of killed or seriously injured motorcyclists. Throughout June, it has had an increased presence on the county’s roads to catch drivers acting irresponsibly.
It’s all good news for motorcyclists’ safety, as good observation is key to avoiding collisions. Let’s face it, we all know that ‘sorry mate, I didn’t see you’ is all too often the main reason why cars and vans come into collision with bikes.
Chief inspector Chris Tinney, from the Roads Policing Unit for Surrey Police, said: “It is important that all road users take their time at junctions, as research shows us that this is where most collisions and fatalities happen. If everyone is responsible for taking just one extra look, we can all work together to cut the number of preventable collisions on our roads.
“Our officers will be watching for irresponsible road users who decide not to give two wheels the respect they need to remain safe.”
The advice to bikers remains that they should always exercise caution around junctions and be aware that their narrow silhouette can make them hard to spot if four-wheel drivers are careless and not watching the road properly. Their poor observation means bikers need to be extra vigilant at potential crash sites like junctions and roundabouts. If we watch our speed, and keep our observation on point, we’re more likely to ride away smiling when cars and vans foul up around us.
The campaign is being supported by Surrey RoadSafe.
