Improve safety on our roads

Bikers are undertaking training to help to improve safety on the roads of Essex.

A range of initiatives are in place to help Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and its partners to tackle road risk and reach the Safer Essex Roads Partnership Vision Zero goal – to have zero road deaths or serious injuries on roads across Essex by 2040.

As part of the Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP), the Service is working to reduce the number of people killed on the county’s roads.

With 2,730 people killed or seriously injured on the roads in the last three years, programmes have been put in place to educate and inform people of the risks of dangerous driving, as well as how to be safe.

Initiatives include FireCar, virtual reality goggles, Community Speedwatch and FireBike.

With motorcyclists among those at significant risk, FireBike talks bikers through risks, consequences and advanced riding theory, as well as an on-road assessment to develop their techniques.

A group of 14 motorcyclists completed the course in the summer, with one saying: “It was particularly beneficial having tutors who have spent so much time on the road and seen first-hand the consequences of little mistakes.

“I felt more alert and conscious of my environment while riding home.

“After attending the course, I understood more and could see how to continue improving my safety and skills as a rider.”

The motorcycle safety initiative promotes skills improvement and safer riding and encourages advanced rider training in a bid to reduce the number of motorcycling casualties.

Instructors are RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) Gold advanced motorcyclists, as well as qualified RoSPA advanced riding instructors.

Find out more in the annual report.