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Ariel announce police version of the Atom!
3rd June 2014
An Ariel Atom, one of the fastest production cars in the world, has been drafted in to support the Avon and Somerset Constabulary and Tri Force Specialist Operations Collaboration’s ‘SAFER RIDER’ campaign launched this week.
The ‘SAFER RIDER’ campaign, backed by Somerset Road Safety, is aimed at increasing awareness by and for motorcyclists, whose numbers grow considerably during the summer months, and to reduce the number of accidents involving motorcycles.
Motorcyclists represent nearly 20% of the deaths on UK roads.The largest proportion of these is men between 35 and 55 riding bikes over 125cc who account for two thirds of all motorcycle crashes.
Within the Avon and Somerset Constabulary area so far this year seven motorcyclists have lost their lives on our roads, an increase of nearly 30% on this time in 2013.
Andy Parsons, a Roads Policing Sergeant with the Tri Force Specialist Operations Collaboration, who is heading the SAFER RIDER campaign, said: “Motorcyclists make up just 1% of total road traffic but account for nearly 20% of all road user deaths. They are roughly 35 times more likely to be killed in a road traffic collision than someone in a car and we really want to see these numbers reduced.
“Modern motorcycles are capable of extraordinary performance, with supercar levels of acceleration, braking and cornering. Unfortunately with this level of performance comes an increased risk of death or serious injury as a result of inexperience, lack of training and rider error.”
The Ariel Atom, which is manufactured in Somerset has been called the closest thing to a motorbike with four wheels. Holder of various performance records, the Atom has also beaten superbikes in races around a track and can outperform nearly every road vehicle. The car used by Avon and Somerset Constabulary is based on the latest Atom 3.5R fitted with a supercharged 350bhp Honda engine, sequential gearbox and has a 0-60mph time of 2.5 seconds. Fitted with unique Avon and Somerset livery, the latest aerodynamic Hella pursuit lights and emergency equipment, the Atom PL1 is intended to be a highly-impactive engagement vehicle that will send a cautionary message to motorcyclists.
Simon Saunders, Director of Ariel said; “Our business is about going fast, very fast, but there is a time and a place. The Atom is designed to be driven to a race track, where you can drive to your limits in safety and in a professional environment designed for the purpose. The road really isn’t the place to explore your or your vehicle’s limits.
‘We’re just about to launch an all new Ariel motorcycle and we want our bikes and customers to be as safe as they possibly can be as well, so this message is important to us. There’s always one certain loser in a motorcycle collision and that’s the motorcyclist.”