Motorcycling in Wales is some of the best in the UK — sweeping A-roads, mountain passes, and scenery that makes you want to stop every few miles just to take it all in. But for all its beauty, riding here can be dangerous, especially on rural roads with sharp bends and unpredictable surfaces.
Now, a pioneering road safety initiative aims to make those bends a little safer.
PRIME — short for Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment — is a system of subtle road markings and signage designed to help motorcyclists make better decisions when approaching and negotiating bends. It’s already been trialled in Scotland with impressive results, and now it’s arrived in North and Mid Wales for the first time.
What’s the idea?
The markings use carefully positioned visual cues to influence speed, braking, and road positioning — without feeling intrusive. During the Scottish trial, over 32,000 motorcycle journeys were analysed across 22 sites, and the data showed:
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Lower entry speeds into corners
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Better road positioning approaching and at the apex
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Improved braking behaviour in risky spots
In short: riders were smoother, safer, and still able to enjoy the road.
Where in Wales will you see them?
The first four sites in Wales are:
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A487 Pantperthog, Gwynedd
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A5 Coed Bwlch, Rhysgog, Llangollen
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A483 North of Llanbadarn Fynydd
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A483 Glascoed Hall, South of Newtown
These stretches were chosen because they have a higher history of motorcycle collisions, especially involving bends.
Why it matters
Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, says the scheme is about tackling the fact that motorcyclists remain one of the most vulnerable groups on the road:
“Evidence shows PRIME is an effective way to help reduce risks and support riders to make safer choices… it was the right thing to do.”
The stats back him up. Dyfed-Powys Police reported 25 collisions in 2024 that killed or seriously injured at least one person — a 66% increase on the previous year. That’s not just a number; that’s friends, partners, and riding buddies who didn’t make it home.
What’s next?
If the Welsh trial shows similar results to Scotland, PRIME markings could roll out more widely across the country. The initiative is low-cost, data-backed, and designed specifically for roads that riders love — and sometimes fear — the most.
For those of us who ride in Wales, anything that helps us stay rubber-side down without taking away the joy of a fast, flowing road is worth getting behind.
