Honda Boosts #TakeAnotherLook Motorcycle Safety Scheme
The manufacturer is throwing its weight behind a new safety scheme launched in Scotland
With a high proportion of motorcycle accidents occurring at junctions, there’s a new safety campaign launching in Scotland urging drivers to “stop and look again” for bikers. #TakeAnotherLook is the work of three widows who lost their husbands to motorbike collisions, and now, their efforts have been backed by Honda.
Honda is looking to double the “initial reach” of the campaign launched by Tracey Marsh, Maureen Rutherford and Jacqueline Dickson.
The manufacturer will also use its social media channels to push a petition led by Outlander actor Sam Heughan pushing the Scottish government to pay attention to #TakeAnotherLook, in the hopes of a “shift towards reminding motorists of their role and responsibility towards vulnerable road users” away from its “emphasis on improving rider behaviour at the exclusion of all else.”
Honda UK’s motorcycle boss Neil Fletcher had this to say about Honda’s partnership with #TakeAnotherLook:
“Tracey, Maureen and Jackie have shown tremendous bravery to step forward. Their partners were all experienced motorcyclists who loved being out on the road, and we had no hesitation in supporting their campaign.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, from the manufacturers developing new safety technology to car drivers and bike riders, and the simple message of the #TakeAnotherLook campaign holds for everyone.
“We all must be considerate on the roads and look out for those on four wheels, two wheels, and two feet. We hope the Honda community will get behind the message and help us make a difference.”
Meanwhile, Thomas Mitchell, partner at Motorcycle Law Scotland, spoke on behalf of Tracey, Maureen and Jackie:
“We are thrilled that Honda, the world’s biggest motorcycle manufacturer, is supporting the campaign. The cases our firm deals with daily for motorcyclists and their families show clearly that motorcyclists are often victims of other road user’s lapses in judgement. So, we need to remind motorists that every time they get behind the wheel of a car, they assume control of a machine capable of causing harm to others.
“We are very proud of Tracey, Maureen, Jackie and the many other bereaved families who are now sharing their stories and seeking a way to change driver behaviour.”
Scotland’s figures for motorcycle fatalities will, sadly, sound all too familiar. Despite making up less than one per cent of road users, bikers accounted for up to 17 per cent of fatalities in the five years leading to 2022. According to data supplied by Motorcycle Law Scotland from nearly 200 Scottish legal cases related to biker casualties in 2022 and 2023, 70 per cent of deaths and injuries were attributed to “errors made by the car or motor vehicle at junctions”.
The Scottish government is aiming for a 30 per cent reduction in the number of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured by 2030. Honda, meanwhile, has a goal of zero “traffic collision fatalities” involving both its cars and motorbikes by 2050.
There’s more information about the #TakeAnotherLook campaign on its website.
Matt has a background in motoring journalism of the four-wheeled variety but has long had a passion for motorbikes, taking his first steps into riding in 2010.
