The Department of Infrastructure and the police team up to promote the road safety message
ahead of this years TT festival

Social media will help to boost this year’s TT road safety campaign which was launched at the Sea Terminal in Douglas on Monday.

A poster campaign will see posters displayed at the ferry ports in the UK and Ireland as well as in the Isle of Man in prominent positions around the course as well as at camp sites and popular vantage points.

Some posters carry the slogan Don’t Bin It and show a damaged motorcycle in a wheelie bin, while others use the line Biker to Foot Passenger and show an injured person waiting to board the ferry on foot.

The plan is to back up the poster campaign with information on social media using the hashtags #SafeSummerRidingIOM, #ShareTheRoadIOM and #IOMTT.

Government road safety manager Gordon Edwards said:

‘Riders are encouraged to remember it’s business as usual for delivery drivers and heavy goods vehicles. I also remind people to get to their favourite spots well ahead of racing as the roads are busiest and most collisions occur in the golden hour before roads close.’ 

He added there would be a work sheet for all the island’s school children to do and there would also be radio advertising to broadcast the message. As usual the road safety team will set up their stall in different locations around the island and staff will be wearing tee-shirts bearing the question: ‘Have you seen the unmarked police bike?’

Superintendant Kevin Willson said:

‘Please come and enjoy the event and hvae a great TT. Enjoy the racing but stay within your limits, respect other road users and come back safely next year.’

He said they hoped to reinforce the message with social media including the force’s Twitter feed, Tweetbeatiom.

‘We will also be chatting to people around the course and we want people to start thinking about the road safety message before they even come to the island. Our primary interest is for people to stay safe,’ he said.

Inspector Dave Dobbie said people could not only use the Tweetbeat information to learn of any road closures, accidents and places to avoid, but they could also find the locations of speed cameras on any given day.

‘We might not say exactly where each one is but we will indicate a particular stretch of road then if people are caught they have no-one but themselves to blame. We would rather get the message out to people than have to take them to court,’ he said.

John Turner

The Department of Infrastructure and the police team up to promote the road safety message
ahead of this years TT festival

The Isle of Man Constabulary’s social media channels will play a key role in efforts to promote road safety during this year’s TT Festival.

@TweetbeatIOM will help to keep Twitter followers up to date with important information such as road closures and traffic diversions. Using the hashtags #SafeSummerRidingIOM, #ShareTheRoadIOM and #IOMTT, it will also provide useful safety advice and guidance, as well as crime prevention tips.

The Manx police force’s digital presence will support the traditional TT poster campaign, which encourages people to take extra care on the Island’s roads during the two-week festival.

Striking images are used to portray the consequences of careless riding and to highlight the central message ‘For All Our Sakes, Slow Down’. One poster shows a badly damaged motorcycle in a wheelie bin, with the strapline ‘Don’t Bin It’, a play on the phrase used by bikers to describe a crash. Another depicts a biker travelling on the TT course above a photo of an injured rider heading home on foot, with the message ‘Biker to Foot Passenger.’

Posters will be displayed at ports in the UK and Ireland used by visiting fans and at prominent locations around the Isle of Man, including TT campsites and popular vantage points on the Mountain Course. Visitors can download general information from the Government website prior to travelling to the Island.

Members of the Roads Policing Unit and Road Safety Team will also be out and about during the TT to stress the importance of keeping speeds down, maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles and abiding by the central white lines. The campaign is targeted towards all road users and primary schools will be given a TT road safety worksheet to raise awareness among children.

A one-way system will again be in place on the Mountain Road in a bid to reduce the number of collisions and unmarked police vehicles will be deployed throughout the Island to enforce the rules of the road.

Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson MHK said:

‘The significant increase in people and traffic makes the TT an extremely demanding time of year for frontline services. The wellbeing of residents and visitors is of paramount importance and a lot of planning goes into the event to make it as safe and enjoyable as possible. We want everybody to have fun, behave responsibly and remember TT 2015 for the quality of the racing and great atmosphere.’

Superintendent Kevin Willson added:

‘The use of social media strengthens our commitment to high-visibility policing and face-to-face communication during the TT. By integrating our Twitter account @TweetbeatIOM into the road safety campaign we can enhance the service we provide and help to protect vulnerable people.’

Visitors are also reminded that while the TT takes centre stage, everyday life continues in the Isle of Man, with people commuting to work and commercial vehicles out on the roads.

Gordon Edwards, Road Safety Manager, said:

‘Riders are encouraged to share the road responsibly and be aware that it’s business as usual for heavy goods vehicles making deliveries to local businesses. A brief lapse in concentration can have tragic consequences, so bikers should always ride to the conditions and adhere to speed limits. I would also urge fans to get to their favourite spectator spots well ahead of races getting under way. The roads are at their busiest – and the most collisions occur – in the “golden hour” immediately before the course closes. Our message to visitors is: ride well within your limits, obey the law, go home safely and come back and enjoy our beautiful Island again soon.’