We have a massive amount of respect for Blood Bikes, the organisation which provides free out-of-hours transportation services for blood, organs, samples and other vital medical supplies. The volunteers who ride for Blood Bikes really do make the difference between life and death.
But, like any motorcyclists, the Blood Bikes riders are as vulnerable as any other bikers, despite wearing high visibility gear and having luminous livery on their motorcycles. In just the last four months, Blood Bikes has lost two riders in accidents while on duty. Louise Lunt is a director of motorcycle-oriented solicitors Sorry Mate and also volunteers for Blood Bikes in Cheshire. After discussions with her colleagues, visibility to other road users was agreed to be a perennial problem and one that could be helped by green lights, in the same way that the police, ambulances and fire services use blue lights.
At present, the Department of Transport decrees what vehicles can use green lights and at present that is limited to doctors on an emergency call. Blood Bikes have not been included in those permissions. So Louise has started an online petition to try and persuade the Department of Transport to allow the use of green lights by Blood Bikes and give them greater visibility on the road while going about their invaluable work. These riders are remarkable people; they are all volunteers, they pay for their own fuel, they have to maintain their own bikes. They deserve our support.
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Please sign the petition at www.change.org/p/grant-permission-for-blood-bikers-to-use-green-lights.
