A new ‘Spot the Difference’ challenge is hoping to offer young motorcyclists the money-can’t-buy prize of ‘safe skin’ this winter.
The artwork shows riders the importance of wearing protective clothing, with in-built armour or specialist lining, which can be as lightweight and comfortable as a pair of jeans and a hoodie.
South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership (SYSRP) is behind the campaign and hopes that the attention-grabbing image will help prevent injuries among at risk powered-two-wheeler riders.
Joanne Wehrle, manager of Safer Roads, said: “Unfortunately, we still see many incidents, often life changing, which could have been prevented if the rider had been wearing protective clothing.
“The days of having to wear big, thick and heavy leathers are gone. With the development of modern protective materials, like Kevlar lining, and armour which stays soft and supple until it hits something with force, you can wear your riding gear all day and still be comfortable.
“Plus, it’s no more expensive than normal gear.”
The campaign, which is aimed at 17-24-year-old riders and their families, promotes the key message - ‘All the Gear, All the Time’ (ATGATT).
“Often we hear the line ‘I was just nipping down the shops’ or ‘I wasn’t planning on riding fast’, which is why we always say ATGATT for short,” Joanne added.
“That driver who doesn’t see you at a junction, may still pull-out whether you are five or 50 miles from your home. The spilt diesel doesn’t mind if you’re doing 25mph or 40mph.
“Kevlar-lined clothing can be the difference between a shattered knee or scuffed jeans.”
Ben Foster of Rotherham-based Idea Creative Design Studio said he had learnt a lot from working on the design and photography for the campaign.
He said: “We liaised with a specialist make-up team and model for the imagery, to create suitable injuries while not being too extreme. We wanted to get the point across that you literally can save your own skin.
“From a personal perspective, I have seen riders in joggers and a hoodie, but I wasn’t aware of the wide range of protective clothing that is out there.
“To be honest, it looks much the same as my own clothing, but I never realised that the armour is built in and the linings are abrasion resistant.”
The campaign also hopes to encourage parents, family members, friends and loved ones, to check that their son, daughter, sibling, wife, or husband, is wearing the right gear every time they go out riding.
Joanne added “Riding is a great form of transport, providing a cheap and reliable way to get to college, work, or just an enjoyable way to get out and about.
“But you wouldn’t drive without wearing a seat belt, so why ride without wearing protective gear?”
SYSRP runs campaigns throughout the year to promote road safety for all road users, from pedestrians to fleet drivers.
