Video highlights importance of surface dressing

The Road Surface Treatments Association (RSTA) and the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) have produced a new video which explains why surface dressing is an important road maintenance technique for keeping bikers safe.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dqowi3JXhg&feature=youtu.be

RSTA chief executive Howard Robinson said: “The RSTA became aware last year of an e-petition lodged on the Department for Transport (DfT) website criticising surface dressing and wanting it banned. Surface dressing is the most widely used road surface maintenance technique and is used successfully by most councils across the UK to restore surface texture for improved skidding resistance. It also seals the road surface to help prevent potholes forming.”

In response, the DfT put out a positive statement in support of surface dressing and explained the important role it plays in maintaining roads in a safe condition.

Robinson continued: “The source of the criticism appeared to come from the motorcycling community so we decided to produce an educational video in association with the BMF. The video is now available on the RSTA YouTube channel and it has been warmly received by the BMF who will bring it to the attention of their members, particularly at the start of each season.”

Graeme Hay, government relations executive at the British Motorcyclists Federation, added: “It seemed to me that what lay behind the e-petition was a lack of understanding of a couple of key facts. The first was that a road treated with a surface dressing provides riders with great surface texture, which is particularly important in the wet and a surface protected from potholes, which no one enjoys. It just seemed that the message had not been understood that the for the first few days, just like the first few miles on new motorcycle tyres, riders need to be careful.

“We were delighted to have the opportunity to work with the RSTA and the BMF will be posting links to the film, to spread this knowledge now and again at the start of the 2016 season.”