Share

Bikers to attend TT film night as part of local road safety campaign

Hundreds of bikers will attend the Aberdeen showing of a critically-acclaimed film about riders in the legendary Isle of Man TT races tomorrow. (Tuesday)

Road Safety Grampian is holding a special screening of “Closer to the Edge” as part of a road safety campaign targeting bikers at the Belmont Picturehouse.

The film documents the journey of entrants to the world-famous races, which take place on the Isle of Man each year on a dangerous and thrilling course.

The event will mark the end of this year’s Operation Zenith motorcycle safety campaign and provide bikers with the opportunity to speak to a range of experts and learn more about ways in which they can increase their safety on the road.

Grampian Police’s head of road policing, Chief Inspector Ian Wallace, said: “The purpose of the free film night is to thank bikers for their continued support with the campaign and for heeding our safe riding messages.

“We've seen reduced casualty levels involving motorcycles over the course of the campaign to date and are keen to see the downward trend continue.

“At the same time, we see this as another great opportunity to get bikers together and make them aware of some of the opportunities available to help improve their road safety and rider skills, such as through advanced riding courses.”

Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee, councillor Peter Argyle, said: “Last year’s Operation Zenith campaign was a great success with an overall 22% reduction in collision levels involving motorcyclists, and this year’s campaign is on track to reduce this further.

“This has been achieved through a multi-pronged approach based on encouragement, education, enforcement and engineering. We want people to enjoy the freedom of our roads but we want them to do so responsibly.

“To date, Operation Zenith has shown that road safety levels can be raised by engaging with bikers and other road users to give advice on how to improve riding standards.”

Operation Zenith aims to educate motorcyclists by actively targeting behaviours and related offences which are linked to road traffic casualties, and earlier this year was recognised at the Scottish Transport Awards in the category of Best Transport Team/Partnership of the Year.

Tough-talking radio adverts, targeted enforcement, ‘bikesafe’ training courses and new motorcycle signs are just a few of the measures used to carry the campaign’s safe riding message.

A road safety open day encouraging bikers to have a ‘Safer September’ held at Aberdeenshire Council’s headquarters in August was attended by around 400 bikers.

An area of parking for motorbikes only has been reserved for those attending the film screening in the Robert Gordon’s University Schoolhill car park, behind Aberdeen Art Gallery.

Bikers are also reminded that city wardens will be on patrol and normal parking restrictions around the cinema will apply.

For more information about Operation Zenith, visit: www.grampian.police.uk/operationzenith

78 views