AA launches "Think bikes" campaign

[Cloggy]

The AA launches a think bikes campain this week in the UK. It's aimed at car drivers to be aware of other 2 wheeled road users. I think it's a good thing that the AA's running this campaign and really hope that it might make a difference being noticed by car drivers. Here's the link

 

[payneib]

I'd like to be enthusiastic about this, upbeat, and say that any education to make roads safer is good. But call me cynical if you like, you know that the sort of drivers who need this education will either outright ignore it, or say something along the lines of, "I don't give a fart about bikers. It's got nothing to do with me, they're the problem, they should think car." and then crack on driving even more selfishly, erratically, and out right dangerously. And, funnily enough, the people who take notice of this will probably be driving fairly safely and looking for bikers anyway.

 

[spine]

There's a THINK BIKE! banner near Rivington that has an image of a naked guy on a motorcycle which says "What do I have to do to get you to notice me?". It's a great advert cos not only is it a bit cheeky and fun, but has a serious message and therefore drivers (hopefully) will take note more.

 

[greg]

Not sure how effective they are, but I think the Think Bike adverts have been pretty memorable.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQrHRN01hQY]Think Bike Warnings Advert - YouTube[/ame]

possibly a bit shocking, but certainly memorable:
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXI8-_9FrB4]Think Bike advert - YouTube[/ame]

 

[FinalImpact]

^^ Greg's first video there, one msg was about spilled diesel.

Let me say, if you EVER SUSPECT A SPILL LIKE THAT IN THE RAIN, WHOLLY COW, just throw the bike down now!!! A Lorry jacked, punctured the tank, spilled lots of diesel onto a wet rainy road. I could not go, I could not stop, and could hardly turn except at the lowest of speeds (in a cage)...

Could be I sat in it for a bit and it softened the tires too. Anyway - next to melting ice, it was undeniably the most slippery elusive surface I've ever been on.

 

[payneib]

The stuff is a nightmare. A wagon had a leak or just hadn't put his filler cap on from a petrol station on my commute. You could see a trail of it out of the station, and then at every right corner and roundabout for miles. Luckily it was at dawn and I was heading east, so the sun was at exactly the right level to make it shimmer. I called the police as soon as I got home, but in the ~30 mins between me going past it and calling it in, some one had already crashed on it.

 

[andyfazer600]

I attended the MCN bike show at the Royal Highland Centre near Edinburgh on Sunday and for the first time in years of travelling along the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh the overhead signs were displaying "Think Bike" signs rather than the usual nonsense

 

[Marcin]

I saw on Top Gear recently the video messages for cyclists they tried to make. Maybe Hammond should do some adverts in TV. Together with James.

 

[Andz]

I like the idea of the little stickers on the mirrors, the message is in your face all the time.

We have a Think Bike campaign here, and sometimes the overhead motorway signs display messages relating to watching for bikes.

I do agree though that some bikers need to "think car".

 

[greg]

^^ Greg's first video there, one msg was about spilled diesel.

Let me say, if you EVER SUSPECT A SPILL LIKE THAT IN THE RAIN, WHOLLY COW, just throw the bike down now!!! A Lorry jacked, punctured the tank, spilled lots of diesel onto a wet rainy road. I could not go, I could not stop, and could hardly turn except at the lowest of speeds (in a cage)...

Could be I sat in it for a bit and it softened the tires too. Anyway - next to melting ice, it was undeniably the most slippery elusive surface I've ever been on.

There was a massive pile of horse manure on the road I use a couple of months back. That was pretty scary and disgusting. Riding(sliding) across 15 ft of manure in the dark, and relying on gyroscopic forces to keep the bike upright.