Green lights for Blood Bikes: A small change that could save a life

A Blood Bike volunteer is calling on the Department for Transport (DfT) to allow the use of green warning lights on their motorcycles, following a series of fatal on-duty crashes that have underlined just how vulnerable volunteer riders are.

In the past few months, two blood bikers have been killed while carrying out life-saving deliveries, with another rider having lost his life previously while on shift in Lancashire. Each incident is a tragedy in its own right, but together they have reignited a long-running debate about the visibility of Blood Bike volunteers.

For anyone unfamiliar with the role, blood bikers provide free, rapid transport of blood, organs, donor breast milk and urgent medical supplies when traditional courier services are unavailable. They operate overnight, at weekends and on bank holidays, often covering long distances at short notice, and do so entirely unpaid.

Despite performing an emergency medical function, blood biker motorcycles are treated in law much like any other private vehicle. They cannot use blue lights, sirens or exemptions, and are largely reliant on standard headlights, reflective markings and rider skill to make progress safely through traffic.

That lack of conspicuity is at the heart of the current campaign. Blood Bike riders argue that while they are not seeking special road privileges, just the ability to use a distinct green warning light would make a meaningful difference to how easily they are seen, particularly at night or in poor weather. A green light of this kind used on a vehicle is not something that any UK emergency or support service currently uses, meaning it would be fairly easy to spot on the road.

For the change to be made it first needs to reach the number of signatures required to be heard in parliament. It would then need to be approved by the DfT, which would then have to make amendments to vehicle lighting regulations. While it’s rare that something like this happens, it’s not totally unheard of – recovery vehicles use orange lights when parked at the roadside and when recovering a vehicle, for instance.

There are also the potential negatives to be considered, like would green lights on the road be confusing to a driver who isn’t educated on the change, for instance. That will be something for the DfT to consider, until then, the petition needs supporters. 

If you support the move, head to the official petition page and add your name.

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