The Department for Transport (DfT) in Great Britain have launched a “bold” new THINK! campaign to cut motorcyclist deaths.
The new £3.5 million campaign marks a radical departure for THINK! after research showed drivers are more likely to notice motorcyclists on the roads if they personally know them.
The THINK! adverts put motorcyclists at the centre of the new campaign in a bid to encourage all drivers to see the person behind the helmet.
The new TV adverts will show bikers with flashing neon signs attached to their bikes. The signs show the rider’s name and describe personality traits such as ‘shy retiring type’ or ‘new dad’. The voiceover at the end asks drivers to look out for motorcyclists next time they’re out driving.
However in Northern Ireland the Department of the Environment, responsible for Road Safety were away ahead of the issue in 2009.
First with Sammy Wilson launching the “Underneath” television advert and then Edwin Poots as Environment Minister :
Sammy Wilson said “Evidence shows drivers perceive motorcyclists as the phantoms of the road, they see the machine, not the person. The motorcyclist can become dehumanised and faceless and there is a tendency for drivers to blame motorcyclists even when they are not at fault. This new thought-provoking campaign challenges drivers to think in a new way about motorcyclists – to look at the person beneath the helmet and separate the motorcyclist from the machine.”
Edwin Poots, “Any biker will tell you that many drivers seem to be oblivious to the presence of motorcycles on the road. Research shows that drivers perceive motorcyclists as the phantoms of the road. They see the machine, not the person. Drivers need to look out for motorbikes when overtaking, when they are at junctions, at roundabouts or when emerging onto a main road.”
The DfT’s Road Safety Minister Paul Clark said of the latest campaign:
“We are working hard to tackle the unacceptable number of collisions where motorcyclists are killed on Britain’s roads and our THINK! campaigns are a vital part of this.
“Previous adverts have warned drivers to look out for bikes in specific situations such as at T-junctions or in their blind spots and showed the deadly consequences of failing to do so. This exciting new campaign goes a step further by asking drivers to reconsider the way they look at bikers.”
“I hope this bold new approach will help to reduce the number of motorcyclists killed or hurt in crashes with cars.”
Right To Ride’s, Trevor Baird says, “This is another well thought out advert from the DfT and we hope that it gets aired here in Northern Ireland, rather than the blood guts and gore campaign ads we suffer here in Northern Ireland, that in our opinion push the viewer away from road safety, instead of pulling them in”.
THINK! Motorcycling Media Page
THINK! Bike – THINK! Biker – Think! – 2010
The Making of THINK! Bike – THINK! Biker
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