Got Your Back – A Road Safety Campaign Born on the Highway

By Chris McCallum

Driving from the Gold Coast to Sydney over the Christmas break, I found myself hyper-aware of motorcyclists on the road—especially with the wet, unpredictable weather. As a rider myself, I made sure to give bikers plenty of space, avoid splashing them with road spray, and double-check my mirrors before changing lanes. But as the kilometres rolled by, it became clear that many other drivers weren’t doing the same.

By the time I reached Coffs Harbour—with the unnerving shake of near misses—I couldn’t shake the idea that many drivers simply don’t understand the challenges motorcyclists face, especially in poor conditions. I started thinking: what if there was a simple way to show riders that a driver is looking out for them?

That’s when the phrase “Got Your Back” popped into my head.
The idea was simple: a sticker on the back window of a car, instantly recognisable to motorcyclists, letting them know that the person behind the wheel is bike-aware and looking out for their safety. I called my wife Kate—an incredible graphic designer—and asked her to bring the concept to life.

But we didn’t stop at stickers. We also wanted to educate drivers who might not realise just how vulnerable riders can be. So I started scripting short voiceovers and videos that offered quick, relatable tips on sharing the road safely. With help from some mates in media, we recorded the first batch and pulled together a series of short, shareable social media clips.

Within two weeks, we had stickers in hand and videos online. I posted the idea on a couple of motorcycle forums with a link to a simple website—and it took off. Fast.

The response was incredible. Emails rolled in requesting stickers every few seconds, and by the end of the day, our first run of 200 was gone.

I spent that night printing envelopes and packing stickers by hand. The next day, we ordered 500 more.

Thanks to Sticker Direct in Coffs Harbour, who have been incredible at turning around our orders quickly, we’re now about to send out our 2000th sticker. We’ve also been lucky to receive sticker support from sponsors like Richard at Black Pup Moto and Jason at Classic Cycles, who stepped in to help cover the growing cost of postage—including international requests we never expected.

What’s blown us away is how the message has resonated—not just with riders, but with drivers too. One motorist told me that having the sticker on his car reminds him, every time he sees behind the wheel, to be more aware of bikes. On a recent drive, a rider tucked in behind my vehicle in bad weather and stuck with me for hundreds of kilometres—maybe because he knew I had his back.

There are, of course, other bike awareness campaigns out there. But with motorcycle accidents and fatalities still far too common, I figure there’s no such thing as shouting the message too loudly. If this little sticker can help protect even one rider—or spark more mindful driving across the board—then it’s all been worth it.

At the end of the day, I just want to make the roads a little safer—for myself, for my mates, and for everyone on two wheels.