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Motorcyclists are to see their names up in lights as part of a new advertising campaign aimed at saving lives on the roads.

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I think the philosophy is good.

I know when my daughter took up with a biker and started going pillion (before I was riding) I began to see bikers as people on bikes, rather than just bikes.

... sounds good in principle ..... getting the message across ...

• "I'm Tim - be careful, you might not see me down here ....."
  
  "I'm Howard - I remember when it were all fields round 'ere"
  
  "I'm Bobbi - Three wheels on my wagon and I'm still rollin' along"

Though once the broadcasts feel the need to make the personalities more dramatic ...

• "I'm Slasher and I bite the heads off chickens"
  
  "I'm Huge Roger .... lock up yer daughters"
  
  "I'm Nooj .... anyone seen my hacksaw ...."
  
  "I'm Pete .... I like to dress up as a nurse"
  
  etc etc

Last year 320 bikers in Norfolk were killed or injured. In Suffolk the figure was 301 and in Cambridgeshire 235.

I'd be interested to see where the accidents mapped out in the counties

It makes Norfolk sound quite a dangerous place to ride, however I would have Cambridgeshire down as a much more dangerous place having ridden in both quite a lot

I think Norfolk is particulary dangerouse. Flat long featureless straits for miles then a 90 degree harpin across a dike. Surprise! well not for every one, some never wake up.

That is even before you bring the state of the locals into the equation

I supose I shouldn't joke about it but a Dyke is a bit like armco or a cliff edge, i.e. bloody dangerouse.

some of my favourite films involve dykes

D-Rider wrote:... sounds good in principle ..... getting the message across ...

• "I'm Tim - be careful, you might not see me down here ....."
  
  "I'm Howard - I remember when it were all fields round 'ere"
  
  "I'm Bobbi - Three wheels on my wagon and I'm still rollin' along"

Though once the broadcasts feel the need to make the personalities more dramatic ...

• "I'm Slasher and I bite the heads off chickens"
  
  "I'm Huge Roger .... lock up yer daughters"
  
  "I'm Nooj .... anyone seen my hacksaw ...."
  
  "I'm Pete .... I like to dress up as a nurse"
  
  etc etc

You forgot the --
I'm Andy and I'm famous, I was filmed on Google!

Kwackerz wrote:

Last year 320 bikers in Norfolk were killed or injured. In Suffolk the figure was 301 and in Cambridgeshire 235.

I'd be interested to see where the accidents mapped out in the counties

It makes Norfolk sound quite a dangerous place to ride, however I would have Cambridgeshire down as a much more dangerous place having ridden in both quite a lot

Don't forget what these stats actually relate to.
They are the same as the Killed and Seriously Injured stats posted up on the roads in Linconshire and elswhere.
You would naturally think killed or in hospital with serious life threatening injuries.
Serious injury means an ambulance was called and/or you have attended hospital.
Hence a few cuts and bruises or a broken finger would classify you as seriously injured.
The only way you are not seriously injured, is if you get up and walk away, ride the bike home, or get a mate to give you a lift home.

And that's if you get as far as registering the "seriously injured" part - the number and the word "killed" are the attention grabbers.
I think it would be more meaningful if they split these categories - after all, there is a big difference between killed and broken a few bones ... let alone merely having enjoyed a trip in the back of an ambulance with a nice nurse so they could give you the once over at hospital.

Exactly, maybe 5 died while 315 had minor bruising. Turning good advice to be careful into scaremongering which just gets ignored.

Make more sense to put a bike shaped sign up where bike accidents are more common saying something like '2 died within the next 1/2 mile - be careful!' or '2 injured per week on average over the next 2 miles - slow down!'

As for putting faces to bikers and making them real people, as much as I like my black visor when the sun is bright, they do stop everybody from seeing your face, so de-personalise you completely.

Those stats were mentioned in the newspaper article and nothing to do with the campaign.

Sorry for the derail!

3.5 million spent blanketing the nation... or a targeted campaign like Nooj commented. I think I'd prefer the targeted one to pinpoint the danger area to both me and the car driver, directly in the area i need them to be more aware. Its all good which ever way they do it, but i think localised would serve both sides of the fence somewhat better... maybe..

The Authorities will probably say that their RED ROUTES fit that bill.
Trouble is they blanket too big an area and cover a lot of the best bike roads in the area, so again tend to get ignored.
The biker tributes and flowers at the side of the road tend to be the real markers for me, you can sometimes even imagine how the accidents might have occurred, and that really focuses your thoughts.
You tend to remember them whenever you ride through that area, even when they have finally gone.
Sad thing is you tend to see a lot of them these days.

The idea sounded better than it looks imho.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-EDJj-g ... r_embedded