Think! teams up with Get On
Added on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 by Carole Nash Editor | 2 Comments
Think! teams up with Get On
To coincide with its new motorcycle safety campaign ‘Named Riders,’ THINK! has partnered with the Get On Campaign to encourage drivers to try out being a biker, as studies have revealed that personally knowing a motorcyclist can help reduce the risk of a collision.
According to DfT figures, motorcyclists make up approximately one per cent of traffic but nineteen per cent of road deaths, with the majority of collisions involving another vehicle and occurring at junctions in urban areas.
The partnership between THINK! and the Get On Campaign will help give drivers a better understanding of bikers’ road experience and allow drivers the opportunity to see the road through a motorcyclist’s eyes by offering a free riding experience at one of more than 100 centres across the UK.
Lead by qualified instructors, drivers can try out a 125cc motorbike or scooter to get a feel for what biking is all about, allowing them to better understand the biker’s experience of the road. It is hoped that by giving drivers this insight, collision rates will be reduced.
A THINK! spokesperson said: “Research shows that drivers who know a motorcyclist are more likely to notice bikers on the road and are less likely to have collisions with them.
“We hope that the Get On experience will help drivers to empathise with the person behind the visor, to encourage them to ‘see’ bikers better and so prevent collisions.”
Anyone over the age of 16 can get involved in the scheme and so far over 7,000 people have booked to take part, with the majority who have ridden reporting that they feel more aware of motorcycles on the road and now drive more vigilantly as a result.
Get On Campaign Director, Miles Taylor, added, “We believe that the best way to get drivers to become more bike aware is to get them to see the road through the eyes of a biker. The Get On Campaign allows anyone over the age of 16* can have a free one hour session on a motorbike or scooter with full tuition which will not only give them a great insight into biking but also help develop their skills as a driver.”
The riding experience covers basic bike safety, clothing and accessories with Get On providing a helmet, gloves and all the essential gear needed. Next, on the training area away from public roads, the instructor will introduce the participant to a motorcycle or scooter, show them the controls and let them get the feel of the bike.
The participant then tries a supervised ride which lasts approximately an hour, including an introduction to the controls and how to start and stop safely. Whilst riding around a simple course, the rider practices changing gears and how to control the motorbike or scooter at low speeds.
For a free motorbike experience, log on to www.geton.co.uk and follow the simple instructions. The chosen training centre will be in touch to organise a suitable time and date for you to Get On.
For further information, visit www.dft.gov.uk/think/motorcycles
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2 Comments
mr a
March 18th, 2010Isn’t this already available and called a CBT ?? Instead of messing around with ideas like this why don’t they try and sort out the farcical situation with the lack of new test sites for people who genuinely want to learn to ride but are put off by the new test set up
Alastair
March 20th, 2010`according to Dft figures’ bikes make up 1% of traffic.
Those figures are guesstimated by camera counts on urban routes and motorways Mon-Fri only, plus the odd pensioner manual count, again on weekdays. Not one biker in any national park, or on a single B road, or riding at a weekend is counted. How do those figures actually mean anything?