Road users are being urged to act responsibly and stay safe, as the Isle of Man gears up to host the 2015 Festival of Motorcycling.

Several thousand visitors are expected to travel to the Island for the event, which gets under way this Saturday 22 August, with the first practice session scheduled to start at 5.30pm.

The Roads Policing Unit and Road Safety Team are continuing one of the themes of this year’s TT – ‘Don’t bin it. For everyone’s sake slow down.’

The campaign encourages visiting and local bikers to respect the Manx roads, keep their speeds down and ride within their capabilities. The message ‘Don’t bin it’ is a phrase used by bikers to describe a crash and the campaign posters feature a striking image of a motorcycle in a wheelie bin.

The focus on road safety is being supported by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, which will be distributing leaflets with boarding cards at departure ports during practice week.

The pocket-size leaflet provides guidance for visiting bikers and includes a full list of road closing times. It stresses the importance of keeping speeds down, maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles and abiding by the central white lines. There is also a reminder that the Mountain Road remains two-way throughout the festival.

Gordon Edwards, Road Safety Manager, said: ‘We want residents and visitors alike to enjoy everything the Isle of Man and the Festival of Motorcycling has to offer. The safety campaign encourages people to behave responsibly, ride to the conditions and show respect for other road users. I’d like to thank the Steam Packet for supporting the campaign.’

Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson MHK added: ‘We are committed to making the Island’s roads as safe as possible all year round and keeping the number of collisions to an absolute minimum. The festival fortnight is a busy period and we hope everyone will heed the campaign message, stay safe and go home with fond memories of their time in the Isle of Man.’

The Isle of Man Constabulary’s social media channels will once again play a key role in efforts to promote road safety during the Festival of Motorcycling.

@TweatbeatIOM will help to keep Twitter followers up to date with important information such as road closures and traffic diversions. It will also provide useful safety advice and guidance, as well as crime prevention tips.

Photo - Gordon Edwards, Road Safety Manager, Brian Convery, Sales Development Manager at the IoM Steam Packet Company and Inspector Derek Flint, Isle of Man Constabulary.