Initiative details
The number of motorcyclists in Lithuania is growing every year. According to the data of 2023, there were ~88,000 motorcycles and mopeds registered in Lithuania. New drivers only receive 10 academic hours of practical driving lessons in schools before they get an A category (motorcycle driving license). In our opinion, this is too little to learn how to ride a motorcycle safely. We emphasize continuous informing of the motorcycling public about safe participation in public traffic. We organize public rides during the season in with 40 to 100 riders are participating. We teach how to properly and safely ride in a motorcycle convoy, what signs to use, how to brake, maintain a constant speed and maintain safe distances between moving motorcycles. These rides are organized free of charge. We also host shows and podcasts on a variety of topics relevant to motorcyclists, including road safety and information for new young motorcycle drivers. A video about the first medical aid to a victim in a moto accident was filmed last year. The plan is to prepare more video material about safe driving, safe motorcycle gear, how to maintain a motorcycle etc.
Initiative date
Who was/is your target audience?
Young adults 17-25
Adults
Others
Topic
Create awareness
Knowledge building and sharing
Training
Organisation details
Klubas "Road Brothers"
Association
Lithuania
Kaunas
Contact name
Mantas Gaižutis
Telephone number
+37067011054
kaunas@roadbrothers.lt
Website link
Project activities
Please describe the project activities you carried/are carrying out and the time period over which these were implemented.
Our organized public rides started in July 2022. Already after the first times, when few motorcyclists participated, we realized that many do not know how to ride correctly in a motorcycle convoy, how to maneuver safely, etc. Therefore, starting in 2023, we have changed the simple rides and included tutorials, post-ride discussions, mistake discussions and more. At the same time, in addition to entertainment content, more traffic safety information appeared in our podcasts - we interviewed a category A (motorcycle) driving instructor, the head of the Lithuanian biker congress, a member of the Lithuanian motorcycle sports federation, etc. The moto squad of the Lithuanian Rifle Association also participated in the trainings we organized, exclusively for them. This year and next year, we plan to prepare more video content about safe driving in public traffic and when riding in motorcycle convoys. We want people, especially newcomers, to understand why it is important to keep a safe distance, why you need to drive in a checkerboard pattern, why you can't brake suddenly, how to brake correctly, etc.
In terms of implementation, what worked well and what challenges did you need to overcome?
We try to be mentors. We see effective benefits, engagement, added value by sharing "good practices" with participants. We have many years of road driving experience, competences and can volunteer to help new riders develop safe road driving skills. We share our experience, and we present the training itself as entertainment. The big challenge was to control the large convoys of riders. There are only six of us, and 40 - 100 riders (students). The rides themselves take place in public traffic, so we must ensure not only our own safety, but also that of all other road users. We organize rides every Thursday during the summer season. We prepare the routes in advance ourselves. We focus on roads with lower traffic intensity. We divide the responsibilities: the road captain leads the convoy and the rest of the members take care of the order in it. Before each ride, a full briefing is given on the rules of the ride, the signs used, etc.
If you work together with external partners, list the most important partners and briefly describe their role.
We do not have specific partners. However, we maintain relations with the Lithuanian Bikers' Congress, the Lithuanian Motorcycle Sports Federation, the King Mindaugas Training Center (for first aid training), the driving school "Rigveda".
Evaluation
Please summarise how you have evaluated the initiative’s impact (e.g. social media reach, survey, feedback forms, statistics).
Interest has been growing rapidly in recent years. We are not a large company and cannot invest large resources in advertising. However, the number of followers on our facebook and youtube channel has doubled in a year (Facebook ~100%, Youtube ~200%). Our podcasts and videos are reached from 1.000 – 30.000 viewers. Short reels are viewed form 5.000 – 100.000 times on Facebook. The number of motorcyclists participating in the organized rides also grew consistently. In 2022, the average number of participants on one ride was 12 – 18 riders, in 2023 and at the beginning of this year, the average number of participants is 40 - 60 riders. Participation in our rides is not limited, both men and women participate. The brand, type or power of motorcycles is also not limited. We also have visitors from other cities, but most of the participants are residents of the city and district of Kaunas. When we participate in events, people already recognize us and talk to us. We also receive a lot of support from the Lithuanian biker community and other organizations. For us, this is proof that we are moving in the right direction and we have no intention of stopping, at least for now.
What has been the effect of the activities?
We cannot quantify the full benefit of our training and video content. We can only state the fact that we are making a positive impact on those who want to be safe on the road. After the show about first aid and first aid kits for motorcyclists, we received comments from people that they had purchased them, as well as questions about where to deepen knowledge about first aid for an accident victim. We see on social media that people recommend our rides to others. The number of people who have participated at least once is growing. We cannot measure exactly how many different people participated in our trainings, but in a conservative estimate, there will be around 400 - 500 people. As mentioned earlier, the number of registered motorcycles in Lithuania increased by 11% in 2023. And the number of car accidents in which motorcycle drivers were killed or injured decreased by 12%. It should be mentioned that we actively started our driving training in 2023. According to the data of the Lithuanian Transport Competence Agency, in 2023, 38 percent of motorcycle drivers and passengers were injured without colliding with anyone. 106 motorcycle riders and 13 passengers were injured when the drivers overestimated their capabilities and lost control of the vehicle and overturned. We believe that our activities and emphasis on safe driving contribute to overall road safety and encourage people to take a more responsible view of their own and other road users' safety, as well as improve the overall level of driving culture in the country.
Please briefly explain why your initiative is a good example of improving road safety.
People who come back tell stories of how they used certain tips while riding alone. They begin to learn to apply knowledge in practice and seeing that it pays off - they understand that the training was not in vain. Can others organize similar rides? Yes - it's not difficult, maybe it's just that in the beginning it will be difficult to gather a larger audience. In Lithuania, Kaunas and other cities, are organized individual training on closed tracks. These trainings are intended more for improving motorcycle handling skills. Our training is focused on participation in public traffic and how to avoid accidents.
How have you shared information about your project and its results?
All information about public rides is posted on our Facebook account. After the training, we often share short reels, which are more entertaining in nature, but people like it and get some feedback. Podcasts and other shows are available on our Youtube channel.