A Motorcycle Safety and Transport Policy Framework
Summary
The MCIA will progressively mobilise the motorcycle industry’s marketing and corporate social responsibility activities to create a greater in-depth awareness of the good that can be derived by UK plc from a greater usage of two wheeled vehicles.
Description
To support the safety framework, industry will focus marketing efforts beyond the leisure sector:
Phase 1a – Basic messages
Progressively all generic industry PR and messaging will be targeted to:
- Bring greater public and governmental awareness of and confidence in the more general use of motorcycles as a real solution to traffic congestion and more efficient commuting.
- Explain the practical solutions offered by two wheelers to congestion, parking and environmental issues.
- Address a widely held negative public view of biking.
- Develop a broader and deeper involvement with general and non-sector press and media with more influence over potential utility riders and social attitudes to congestion, transport and road safety.
Industry marketing and PR personnel will attend a seminar/conference in February 2017 to establish the principle messaging contained in the above that will be utilised to broaden the awareness amongst the general public of the societal benefits of powered two wheelers, including the improvements to road safety and the need to balance marketing efforts and messaging across a new wider user group.
Phase 1b – First points of contact
Following the conference a small workgroup will prepare seminars and information packs for retailers and motorcycle trainers outlining the differing requirements of new user groups to ensure that those wishing to engage with motorcycles and scooters for anything other than pure leisure purposes have appropriate welcome, introduction and road safety messaging relative to the transport mode that they are considering.
Phase 2 – Sector press
Those engaged in the motorcycle sector press will be briefed on the differing requirements of the hobby and leisure sectors as opposed to the emerging transport only sector of the wider industry. They will be asked to feature articles which are more appropriate to an audience seeking a solution and the benefits of that solution, congestion reduction, environmental benefits and improved road safety.
Within the industry this message will be delivered by personal presentation, and via an information seminar for the Guild of Motoring Writers.
Non sector press
As a means to develop the broader and deeper involvement with general and non-sector press and media required, industry and brand owners will be tasked with contacting all major publishers and titles to deliver messaging about the opportunities to deliver safer roads and better urban transport solutions by utilising more utility styled two wheelers.
Regional and Local press will be addressed via their representative bureaux.
Phase 3 – Government activity
Framework partners, particularly the DfT, will be asked to support the industry specific actions that recognise the greater awareness, and public utilisation of the emerging transport solution.
As awareness of societal benefits improves, the Government also has a part to play and will be asked at all levels to recognise motorcycles and scooters as a practical solution, so enabling significant traction in broadcasting those benefits to the general public.
Industry will develop information seminars to be delivered to members of government departments, political parties, lobby groups, safety related organisations, industry groups, local authority departments, road and town planners and others interested in harnessing the benefits of reduced congestion and improving road safety from greater motorcycle usage.
Ongoing activity
Continued support for the Wheels to Work initiative
The Wheels to Work Association, supported by government and the motorcycle industry will continue to provide, through local programmes, transport solutions for typically younger people, to access education and employment in a supervised and responsible manner, proving the benefits of powered two wheelers as a utility transport option. This work is expected to develop as central and local provision of subsidised public transport reduces.
Ride to Work Day/Week
Industry’s annual event to celebrate those who already commute by motorcycle will be developed to focus particularly on large corporates who recognise the considerable congestion and parking issues caused by staff using cars to get to and from work. Corporate Social Responsibility benefits of utilising motorcycles and scooters will be highlighted; congestion, environment, work life balance and contentedness and improving road safety from greater usage will be explained and demonstration and trial sessions will be organised.
Provision of trial opportunities
Industry has a facility to provide opportunities to ‘try a motorcycle or scooter’ which will be utilised in conjunction with any of the tasks to prove to interested parties the ease with which lightweight motorcycles can be ridden, thus proving how straightforward it is to access the benefits of motorcycles and improve road safety as a consequence.
The Get On programme will be developed to provide trial sessions for employers whose staff are experiencing congestion or parking issues which are interfering with their work life balance.
Much of this trial programme will be developed initially as part of Motorcycle Northants.
Next Steps
- Plan the concepts to be covered within and announce the date of the ‘industry conference’
- Establish the industry working group
- Develop the first point of contact material and distribute
- Schedule visits to industry media publishers
- Plan and announce the details of the Guild of Motoring Writers Information Day
- Develop industry information seminars for government departments.
Progress
UPDATE – Action 30 – To Ensure that the Motorcycle Industry Engages with Society’s aims
The vast majority of PR messages from the MCIA in the past 12 months have focused on awareness and the utilisation of motorcycling as a commuter option. The need for greater awareness of motorcycles by all road users has been key. Press releases have been used in The Economist, The Telegraph, The Mirror and The Star.
A conference/seminar plan has been developed aimed at industry marketing and PR personnel. This will involve the Guild of Motoring Writers. This will take place in February 2017.
Ride to Work is well established and in 2016 the emphasis was in Northamptonshire as part of the Motorcycle Northants initiative (see Appendix A).
From January 2015 to August 2016 there were over 1000 Get On Free Rides. More are scheduled.
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