The DfT is officially sponsoring the motorcycle championship as part of its Think! road safety campaign, which aims to reduce deaths and serious road injuries by 40% by 2010. A new two-year deal between the government department and the international sports management company, Dorna UK, ties Think! to the BSB until the end of 2008.
This season's Think! campaign will encourage bikers to hone their riding skills and raise awareness about road safety. A Think! motorcycle academy will also be travelling to each round of the BSB championship to offer practical advice.
Dr Stephen Ladyman, road safety minister, said: "Our work with BSB is hugely valuable. It helps us get important safety messages direct to an audience that wants, and needs, to hear them."
The BSB kicks off at Brands Hatch on April 9 and will return to the Kent circuit for the season's final race in October after 13 rounds. The championship has been steadily growing an audience and coverage of last year's event on ITV1 scored the highest ratings for a domestic motorsport event.
DfT has appointed Capitalize to put together a series of events for the Think! motorcycle academy. The agency will also be targeting other bikers in the UK with a wider PR programme.
Capitalize won the account after a three-way pitch organised by the Central Office of Information.
British vehicle manufacturer LDV Group has also signed up to be the official van supplier to the BSB. LDV will provide five of its Maxus vans to transport equipment and retrieve broken-down bikes throughout the series.