The California Highway Patrol has started a campaign to make motorists more aware of bikes. The message, ‘Share the road, look twice for motorcyclists’, is now being shown on over 700 signs across the state.     

Robert Gladden, director of the US’s Motorcycle Safety Foundation said: “The Motorcycle Safety Foundation, along with many thousands of motorcyclists, applaud the California Highway Patrol, the Office of Traffic Safety and CalTrans for recognising the importance of motorcycle safety and for utilising this very effective medium to promote highway safety.

“We hope that the overwhelming positive response we have received will encourage more motorcycle safety messages like this to be displayed in the future.”

On a stretch of the 405 freeway, where just one of the hundreds of signs is located, it’s estimated that 250,000 vehicles pass through every day.

What do you think? Should overhead signs in the UK have a similar message? And if so, what should it be?                                                                                                                                                                              

You never heard of the "Think Bike" campaign, part of the "Think" road safety initiative?  Or more concerning, have you never seen the signs lol?

These are situated at the roadside in many counties in England now and the "Think Bike" message is often displayed on overhead variable message signs on the motorways.                                                                                                                                                                              

It doesn't matter who or what happens Jackie, there will still be some who it just does not sink in with.

Only last week the day of my test I was out with my instructor just before my test when he was overtaken & cut up by a car who cut in front of him separating us & then who did the same with me to realise he had to cut in front of me as there were cars there ... & what was he so proudly displaying in the back of his car ? 

A big yellow THINK BIKE!! sticker                                                                                                                                                                              

  Maybe it's not just some drivers skills, or lack of,  that need addressing it's their concentration, they don't seem to have much   I think the 'Think Bike' signs are pretty good but like I say if they aren't concentrating it won't matter what is there they still won't see it.                                                                                                                                                                             

This is very true Kwak, but it's not just drivers who are to blame here.

I've probably been cut up by more bikers than by car drivers to be honest!  These have tended to be sunny sunday power rangers to be fair rather than bikers, but they come up your inside or overtake between you and the white line.  And they annoy me far more than any car driver that has attempted to cut me up.

Roachy stopped me from having a "word" with a couple of these idiots on a recent trip up to Ponderosa.

It was the day of MCN's Reclaim Wales day and it brought out a lot of idiots.  I was following a car, waiting for an overtake, when I saw these two riders coming up behind far too fast, overtaking on solid whites and cutting up cars.

As I approached a right hander I moved over to the left slightly to get a better view ahead and suddenly there's this moron on a gixxer thou alongside me.

Ok, he could have thought that I was moving over to let him through, but there was nowhere for him to go other than alongside me and he never acknowledged me had he presumed this was the reason for my position change.  But it left me blocked in towards the left of the lane with nowhere to go either and I was forced to back off and fall in behind him.

Then his mate on a Fireblade, let's call him Towrope, overtakes me and cuts in between me and the suzuki, forcing me to back off further.

There are unfortunately a minority on the road who feel they can simply force their way through no matter what form of transport they are using.

                                                                                                                                                                             

  This is very true Kwak, but it's not just drivers who are to blame here.   I agree Geoff but I was basing my response on Jackie's opening post   'California Highway Patrol has started a campaign to make motorists more aware of bikes. The message, ‘Share the road, look twice for motorcyclists’, is now being shown on over 700 signs across the state'                                                                                                                                                                               

If just one sign Makes one person think and it saves a life then its worth it   You cant teach all the people all the time but a few people some of the time is still better than nothing                                                                                                                                                                              

Impatient driving/riding and being focused on (I HAVE TO GET THERE) will and does block out awareness of others around you and no matter how many signs are there flashing or other wise they will be ignored.

Driving a motor vehicle in the UK has become a free for all with less and less ability being shown as well as general good manners.

As peoples attitudes get worse so does the depth of driving, and it doesn't matter about the signs its what is in you and how you apply it unfortunately a great many don't do this.         

I think displaying a smashed up bike on top of a roadside sign would make more people think but as micksaway says summat is better than nowt                                                                                                                                                                               

If motorist don't look for bikes now then they never will and that is a sad fact but i feel its true.
Due to the weather in the UK the use of motorcycles on a daily basis in mass isn't common, and the average 4 wheel plus motorist isn't use to looking for an agile slim mainly dark (even with a headlight on) object like a bike to be there and there fore collisions will happen.
Spend the money on better road surface and less street furniture.

Every year in the run up to christmas at the entrance to the military bases they place some cars that have been recovered from accidents from from actual military ranks from the camp then do a moke up including bodies, it brings it home, certainly slows people down and makes then more aware..... ....maybe the occasional moke up on TV etc or supermarket carparks etc....I would say road side but it couldn't be on a main roadway or it will cause accidents.                                                                                                                                                                             

Yes Geoff i have heard of Think Bike just thot the article may have been of interest, dont shoot the messenger                                                                                                                                                                               

*agile slim mainly dark*

Who we talking about there sdv, you mean there's some slim bikers out there? Only peeps I koware fatter than their bikes and some *ahem* wider than your average saloon 

A mock ups a good idea johnny. When I was 16 a bunch of us used to race down the road from our training school and some local residents reported us to the police so they came in and made us sit and watch gruesome footage all day from bike accidents, worked a treat . Maybe this should be compulsory as part of any driver/rider training!                                                                                                                                                                             

I was thinking about the browny points seeing we have some women bikers RK,........that's you off the Christmas card list i fear.                                                                                                                                                                               

sdv I was only talking about the blokes of course! 

Merry xmas all you gorgeous ladies