Motorists rewarded for seeing Joe Rider

Motorists will be rewarded with cash gift vouchers for seeing motorcyclists in a novel twist to the Joe Rider road safety campaign.

Orange Ulysses Branch has won a $4100 Community Road Safety Grant from the NSW Government to run the campaign throughout February.

Branch president Lester Davis says he hopes the safety campaign will prevent SMIDSY (sorry mate, I didn’t see you) accidents in the region and make drivers more aware of riders.

A US study has found SMIDSY is the biggest case of crashes.

Click here for scientific reasons for SMIDSY crashes. They include “saccadic masking”, the low threat to drivers and difficulty in gauging the approaching speed of a small vehicle.

Joe Rider vests

The campaign features riders wearing fluorescent vests with the words “Joe Rider” on them. The campaign has previously been run in the ACT, Goulburn and Shoalhaven regions.

However, the Orange district in central NSW has a slight twist on the theme.

Drivers who see a Joe Rider vest can fill out a coupon in from the Friday and Saturday editions of the Central Western Daily newspaper to win cash prizes. 

“There will be four riders from our branch at any time riding the roads in shifts,” Lester says.

“Drivers have to cut out the coupon, fill in the date, time and where they saw Joe and we compare that with a log book we will keep.”

Each Monday (February 11, 18, 25 and March 4) three correctly completed coupons will be drawn and the winners will receive a $50 gift card. 

On the last day, three $500 gift cards will be drawn.

“We hope to do it annually, depending on how well it goes,” Lester says.

“If we get a good response and if we think we are doing some good, we will apply for the grant again.”