Whether right or wrong, motorcycle safety campaigns are rarely the topic of conversation at bike nights or the various other places riders might hang out.

Unless you happen to be talking about the British safety campaign.

THINK! the incredibly original and attention grabbing campaign has left a lasting impression with bikers both sides of the Atlantic. Most recently the You Tube video of a rider suddenly slamming into the side of a car pulling out into an intersection was posted on motorcycle forums and led to pages of comments.

As of March 1st, the latest version of motorcycle safety commercials hit the British airwaves for the new approach being taken by the officials behind THINK!
 
Called 'Named Riders', the new commercials show riders with flashing neon signs attached to their bikes which spell out their name and personality traits. 'Shy retiring type' and 'New Dad' are some of the neon signs seen in the latest round of ads. The voiceover at the end asks drivers to look out for motorcyclists next time they're out driving.
 
This different approach comes from recent research that showed drivers are more likely to notice motorcyclists on the roads if they personally know a biker. The research, completed by Dr. David Crundall of the University of Nottingham, showed that empathy with motorcyclists is important and drivers with relatives who ride have been reported to have fewer collisions with bikers as well as demonstrating better observation skills in regard to motorcycles.

Qualitative research conducted by the Department for Transport also revealed that motorcyclists can seem quite alien to drivers, as their identities are often hidden by the very piece of equipment designed to protect them, the motorcycle helmet.

While Britain has continuously worked hard at getting the message of motorcycle safety out to all road users, the disproportionate number of rider fatalities remains staggering. While only one percent of the vehicles of British roads are motorcycles, riders account for 19 percent of highway fatalities.

The new campaign which dismisses biker stereotypes and replaces the rider with someone every driver might know will be seen on television, in cinemas, online advertising and heard on radio stations. The ad as well as the making of the commercial is featured on the THINK! YouTube channel.

"We are working hard to tackle the unacceptable number of collisions where motorcyclists are killed on Britain's roads and our THINK! campaigns are a vital part of this," said Road Safety Minister Paul Clark, the British politician who oversees campaigns such as THINK!.