The UK’s roads are congested and many urban and arterial routes cannot cope with the volume of mostly car-borne traffic. Motorcycles and Scooters can make a significant contribution to addressing the nation’s transport and traffic congestion problems. They clearly have a role to play as part of mainstream transport solutions.
However, despite a significant reduction of motorcycle fatalities (-39% over the 2005/2009 average according to DfT) motorcycling remains disproportionately represented in overall road user fatalities. It is vital that further safety improvements are made. This can be facilitated not just through important traditional road safety initiatives but also through a positive approach to motorcycle integration within wider transport and social policies. Such an approach would allow the development of initiatives that reduce rider vulnerability and allow the creation of a safer and more ‘visible’ environment for motorcycle and scooter users.
As discussed during the MCIA/NPCC safety conference (DfT November 2013), evidence suggests that it is indeed possible to have a wider integration of increased motorcycle use within the urban environment in particular, while at the same time reducing casualties. Statistics from various European countries also indicate that there is a tendency for casualties to fall at a faster rate during a rising motorcycle market.
The important long term historical progress made on motorcycle safety should not be a reason for complacency. Road fatalities still affect a high number of vulnerable road users, particularly motorcycle and scooter riders. MCIA and NPCC have also become highly concerned about the slowing of progress since 2010 and the 1% increase in fatal incidents in 2013.
This is an issue that requires decisive action. To effectively address this major challenge, industry and police efforts will need to be complemented with action by other key stakeholders. We all have a responsibility for road safety – either as transport providers, road users or public authorities.
For this reason, better and more effective partnerships, particularly between industry, police, users and policy-makers, must be established. We must build on the political momentum generated by the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety and the Government’s objective to reduce the number of road deaths on Britain’s roads.
By improving road safety we will also be able to further reap the considerable benefits that motorcycling brings to society. Motorcycling offers quality of life, among other things, through better access to jobs and services, affordable mobility, and the enjoyment of sports, leisure and tourism.
Moreover, motorcycles produce lower carbon emissions in aggregate than cars, help to reduce traffic congestion and resolve parking issues. These societal benefits are largely overlooked in the public debate.
This Motorcycle Safety and Transport Policy Framework will aim to facilitate the changes in direction and attitude that are required to make this happen, create safer motorcycling and allow society and government to realise the motorcycling opportunity in a safe and structured manner. This Framework is challenging, both philosophically and practically – and is meant to be so. In order to realise its objectives, full engagement from the stakeholders identified will be essential.
The Framework will not be a ‘publish today, forget tomorrow’ document. It is envisaged that the Framework will achieve real change on a ‘short generational’ basis and will propose activities that will be developed over a ten year timescale.
It is important to note that although the Framework goes into detail about the position of motorcycling in society and wider public policy, it is not about promoting motorcycling per se. However, activities which may result in an increase in motorcycle and scooter usage will require accompanying activities to address key issues related to motorcycle awareness, rider safety awareness, education, better riding and addressing negative public stereotypes. This will allow the ‘managed’ integration of more motorcycle use into the overall traffic system, so leading to greater social benefit. Policy activities will need to be geared towards ensuring that a less vulnerable roads environment is in place as motorcycle use evolves and grows. This will help reduce risk and casualties. Appropriate messaging will be developed.
It is also important that enforcement plays a relevant and appropriate role within the framework for the occasions where offending behaviour is beyond the scope of education. This should be proportionate to the risks to individuals, property and the degree of seriousness of the offence.
Evidence from other countries demonstrates that more motorcycling invariably leads to greater motorcycle safety as a proportion of the vehicle parc and user population, with risk falling sharply once motorcycles reach 10% of the private vehicle park. Therefore, the greater presence of motorcycles in the traffic system will in itself have a safety awareness benefit. It should again be emphasized that measures to enable sustainable market growth in appropriate motorcycle sectors, such as commuting, should not be confused with measures to promote motorcycling per se – something that is beyond the objectives or scope of this Framework.
One of the most important factors which will either aid or hinder delivery of a safer roads environment for motorcycles is one of understanding and acceptance of motorcycles as a legitimate mode of transport. This requires a shift in thinking both within government and without.
It is fair to say that progress on both safety and policy has been hindered by a view that motorcycles are too difficult to consider as actively supported commuter transport due to perception and opinions about danger. Some influential thinkers have previously been open in their view that motorcycling should be banned. Within government, it has been traditional to compartmentalize motorcycle policy thinking purely into a safety problem ‘box’. Creative thinking about motorcycles in transport rarely impacts on wider policy areas. As a result progress on safety has been only incremental and many opportunities have been lost.
Therefore, it can be argued that the success or failure of this entire Framework lies in the ability of all to approach motorcycle safety and policy integration with an open view. Regarding the potential to reduce casualties through a two pronged approach of established safety techniques, coupled with the use of wider policy levers to reduce rider vulnerability through developing sensible measures that will realize the motorcycle and scooter opportunity for road transport.
The most sustainable route to safer motorcycling lies within taking a comprehensive approach to safety policy and practice, based on a ‘shared responsibility’ approach and through exploring proper linkage with ‘command’ transport policy. Instead of public authorities approaching motorcycling issues via thinking such as ‘what do we do about the motorcycle safety problem?’ a new approach must be pursued. This must be based around the attitude of: ‘Motorcycling carries many socio-economic benefits and an opportunity to offer the public a further alternative to the car for commuting. What do we need to do to support motorcycling, decrease casualties and reduce rider vulnerability?’
In order to realise this and ensure that safety is managed with an even hand and on a level playing field, the first and most important step is to recognise motorcycling’s place within society and the overall transport system. Indeed, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) firmly stated this key point in their primary recommendations from the 2008 Lillehammer safety conference.
Such an approach will open up the ability to integrate motorcycle safety as part of broader transport policy/planning and enable a reduction in rider vulnerability and improve accessibility as part of this. This will result in not only fewer motorcycle and scooter casualties, but also the important role that motorcycling plays in social, business, practical and leisure transport.