A bit of colour this month

The motorcycle awareness week helmet. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

A colourful reminder about this month's motorcycle awareness campaign arrived unexpectedly in the newsroom last week.

The yellow motorcycle helmet was paid for by ACC and is a reminder to road users that motorbikes can appear unexpectedly and to keep an eye out for them. For riders, it's a reminder that they are not always seen, and to ride accordingly.

It also highlights that's it's easier to see a bright yellow helmet than a darker colour, such as charcoal or grey.

September is the month when more riders hit the road. Unfortunately, it is literally true. As the weather warms up and clears, more riders are on the roads and the injury and death rates pick up.

The number of motorcyclists on the road has also been increasing – by 60 per cent in the past 10 years. And they are involved in more crashes. In 2015, motorcycles were involved in 17 per cent of crashes and 10 per cent of deaths in spite of making up only three per cent of road users. So far this calendar year, 22 riders have died on the roads.

'We want you to help us out. And using the crazy yellow helmet we have sent you as a prop,” sayspublic relations company Senate SJH.

'We're hoping the more people see these helmets the more they'll think about motorcycle safety and perhaps we can save just one life on our roads this summer.

'Over the month we will be sharing shots of yellow helmets in unusual places on our Ride Forever Facebook page.”

There is a hashtag too. #motorcycle awareness

ACC Minister Michael Woodhouse says motorcycle safety is one of the four priorities of the government's Safer Journeys Action Plan 2016 -2020 and Motorcycle Awareness Month is an opportunity to increase awareness around the risks for motorcyclists on our roads.

'Motorcyclists should use this month to think about how they can sharpen their skills to not only lower their risk of harm, but also to ensure they make the most on their time of the bike,” says Michael.

'Last year 52 people lost their lives in motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle Awareness Month will play an important role in helping to reduce that number by bringing safety to the forefront of all road users' minds.”

As part of Motorcycle Awareness Month, ACC will be running a number of initiatives to help motorcyclists stay safe and improve their ride. These include:

  • A ‘Get Ride Ready' campaign in conjunction with local councils which guides riders through actions to enable them to make the most of summer riding.
  • The Motorcycle Safety Advisory Council's ‘Ride and Decide' summit programme. This incorporates a number of events bringing together motorcyclists and road safety agencies to share insights and knowledge. This will result in a joint commitment to improve the safety of motorcyclists.

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