A Highways Award winning road safety initiative designed to make motorcycling safer has been introduced in North and Mid Wales, following successful application in Scotland.
PRIME (Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment) is a system of innovative but simple road markings and signage that aims to help motorcyclists make safer decisions when approaching and negotiating bends.
In Scotland, over 32,000 motorcyclist journeys were analysed across 22 sites, producing evidence that PRIME has a measurable and positive impact on rider behaviour, including:
- Significant reductions in speed
- Improved road positioning on approach and at the apex of bends
- Safer braking behaviour
Now the Welsh Government, in partnership with the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent (NMWTRA), has rolled out PRIME markings at four key sites in North and Mid Wales. These are:
- A487 Pantperthog, Gwynedd
- A5 Coed Bwlch, Rhysgog, Llangollen.
- A483 North of Llanbadarn Fynydd • A483 Glascoed Hall, South of Newtown.
Welsh transport secretary Ken Skates said: 'We are delighted to be trialling this new road safety initiative for the first time in Wales.
'Evidence shows that motorcyclists are amongst the most vulnerable road users, especially on roads with sharp bends. PRIME is an effective way to help reduce risks and support riders to make safer choices on the road, so it was the right thing to do.'
According to StatsWales, there were 28 motorcycle fatalities in 2024, an increase from the 21 people who died in motorcycle crashes in 2023.
Motorcyclists were the only group of road users to see more deaths in 2024 than 2023 and were second in total, only to the number of people who died in cars (33 in 2024, down from 38 in 2023).
Inspector of Specialist Operations at Dyfed-Powys Police, Dawn Fencott-Price said: 'This is a low-cost intervention which has been proven to significantly improve road safety for riders when used in the right road conditions. One death on our roads is one too many – and reducing the number of motorcyclists who are killed or seriously injured on our roads is our priority.'
The Welsh Government said that if the trials are successful, PRIME markings could be expanded across the wider Welsh road network.
The PRIME project won Road Safety Scheme of the Year at the 2023 Highways Awards as well as scooping the 'best of the best' Judges' Special Merit Award.
