Using Composite Access Covers Could Provide A Consistent Road Surface Which Saves Lives And Money

Across the UK there are in excess of 10 million access covers which tend to be placed at points where utility companies need to change the direction of pipes and drainage – usually on corners and often on the crown of the road. The appearance of a worn or damaged cover in the path of a motorcyclist will often lead to an instinctive swerve which could be potentially hazardous. Even greater danger results from loss of control through variations of traction experienced by two-wheelers riding across metal covers which are worn and wet, also there are the potentially lethal consequences resulting from riders hitting gaping holes left in roads where metal covers have been stolen.

Local authorities and parish and town councils are being asked to support a new campaign, ‘Get a Grip’, designed to reduce casualties to motorcyclists by adopting a positive solution to the road surface grip problems faced by two-wheelers.

As key drivers of the ‘Get a Grip’ campaign, composite access cover manufacturer Structural Science Composites (SSC) and lobbying organisation Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), aim to promote the use of composite access covers to provide a consistent road surface which saves lives and money. According to MAG, of all the varying potential risks presented to riders of motorcycles, the worn, cracked, displaced or stolen metal access or manhole cover poses one of the greatest dangers in terms of stability and traction – frightening at best and catastrophic at worst - especially when the road is wet.

Andrew Burton of SSC explains: “Of the many significant benefits offered to motorcyclists by composite covers, a consistent grip level, no matter how much a cover wears, is perhaps the greatest. Composites have the advantage of being ‘fit and forget’ insomuch as the anti-slip properties remain at consistently high levels throughout the cover’s life. Also, because of the way the aggregate is impregnated in the mix, a composite cover has the added advantage of having a tread pattern which is omni-directional, so it cannot be approached from an angle that diminishes the grip level.”

Paddy Tyson, Campaigns Manager of MAG UK, comments: “Worn or damaged metal access covers are motor cycling’s equivalent of playing a game of Russian Roulette and, through ‘Get a Grip’, we are determined to raise awareness with officialdom of these dangers. We believe the exciting and welcome composite innovation developed by SSC will play a vital role in the ultimate success of the campaign.”