UK motorcycling: building a safer future without restricting riders

Recent initiatives in the United Kingdom demonstrate the importance of a coordinated approach to motorcycle policy, bringing riders, representative organisations, industry, retailers and government together to address the challenges facing motorcycling.

Craig Carey-Clinch, Executive Director of the National Motorcyclists Council, said: “The experience in the UK shows that when riders, industry and other stakeholders work together, motorcycling can move from being treated simply as a safety challenge to being recognised as part of the solution. Integrating motorcycles into transport planning actually improves safety, encourages better infrastructure, and recognises riders as legitimate road users.”

The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has highlighted four areas where this approach is already delivering progress: responsible riding and access, motorcycle safety in the development of automated vehicles, road safety policy, and motorcycle licensing reform.

The newly launched Ride Right campaign brings together rider organisations, motorcycle sport, industry and other partners to protect legal on- and off-road riding. Its message is straightforward: responsible riders have a shared interest in challenging illegal and antisocial behaviour, protecting relationships with local communities and landowners, and safeguarding access for the future.

At the same time, the NMC’s sustained engagement with the UK Government on automated vehicle safety has helped ensure that motorcycles are explicitly considered in the development of safety principles for autonomous vehicles. This is particularly important because automated systems must be able to recognise motorcycles in situations such as filtering, overtaking and at junctions. New technologies should improve road safety for all road users, rather than creating new risks for vulnerable road users.

The need for such action is underlined by the latest UK road safety figures. Provisional data for 2025 shows that motorcycle fatalities increased by 13% and serious injuries by just over 4%, even though overall motorcycle casualties fell. The NMC argues that these figures reinforce the need for a comprehensive Safe System approach to motorcycling, combining effective training and licensing with safer infrastructure and proper recognition of motorcycles within transport policy.

Licensing is another area where the UK motorcycling sector is calling for change. The NMC, Motorcycle Industry Association and National Motorcycle Dealers Association have jointly proposed a more coherent system that improves rider training and progression without creating unnecessary financial or regulatory barriers. Their proposals include an incentivised progression pathway, a review of the current two-part testing system, improved CBT (compulsory basic training) and instructor standards, and licensing rules that properly reflect the development of electric L-category vehicles.

The common thread is partnership. Rather than addressing individual problems in isolation, the UK motorcycling community is increasingly working together to develop practical solutions that improve safety while protecting access, mobility and the wider benefits of motorcycling.

Wim Taal, FEMA’s General Secretary, said: “For FEMA and its members, this is a useful example of why a strong, coordinated voice for motorcyclists matters. Motorcycling policy should not be limited to restrictions or risk reduction. A genuine Safe System approach must also recognise motorcycles as a legitimate form of mobility and recreation and ensure that riders are properly considered in transport, infrastructure, technology and licensing policy.”