DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (124) issued by The Government News Network
on 23 July 2008
Plans to tackle
the numbers of motorcyclists killed or injured on Britain's
roads were published today by Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick.
The new Motorcycling Strategy Action Plan - agreed with the
National Motorcycle Council - sets out what the Government will do
to improve safety for motorcyclists and to continue to facilitate
motorcycling as a choice of travel.
Jim Fitzpatrick said:
"Motorcyclists are the single most vulnerable group on
Britain's roads today. They account for just 1% of all road
traffic, but for 20% of all those killed on the roads.
"The new action plan sets out how we will work to improve
the safety of motorcyclists, and make sure that we continue to
address their concerns and fully consider their needs when making decisions."
Updated actions in the new plan include building on initial work
to identify the feasibility of a motorcycle safety assessment
programme, in particular, looking at the safety benefit to
motorcyclists offered by new technologies and the potential for
including security and environmental aspects. We will also
investigate reporting options for diesel spills and other highway
defects, and disseminate options for tackling diesel spills. Since
the strategy was published in 2005:
* The DfT has developed and launched a new TV and radio THINK!
campaign to encourage car drivers to "take longer to look for bikes".
* THINK! has sponsored the British Superbikes Championship.
* The DfT has published new safety ratings for motorcycle helmets
through the SHARP scheme that could save up to 50 lives a year.
* The Driving Standards Agency has established a voluntary
register of approved Post Test Motorcycle Trainers and an Enhanced
Rider Scheme offering insurance discounts to licensed riders who
take further training with an approved instructor.
* The DfT has published new guidance to local authorities on Use
of Bus Lanes by Motorcycles.
* Guidance to highway authorities on motorcycle-friendly
infrastructure has been published by the Institute of Highway
Incorporated Engineers with support from DfT.
The 42 new actions update those in the 2005 Strategy. Some of
the original actions have been completed, others are ongoing, many
have developed over time and been revised to reflect the latest
progress, while some new issues have arisen requiring new actions.
Notes to Editors
1. The revised action plan for the Government's Motorcycling
Strategy is available on the Department's website http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/motorcycling/motorcyclingstrategyrevised.pdf
2. In February 2005, the Department for Transport (DfT) published
the Government's Motorcycling Strategy. The theme for the
Strategy is to facilitate motorcycling as a choice of travel
within a safe and sustainable transport framework.
3. The Government's Motorcycling Strategy is being taken
forward by the National Motorcycle Council (NMC), which includes
representatives of motorcycle user groups, manufacturing,
retailing and training industries as well as local government and
Department for Transport officials.
4. Membership of the NMC includes representatives from: Motor
Cycle Industry Association (MCIA), British Motorcyclists
Federation (BMF), Motorcycle Action Group (MAG), Despatch
Association, Motorcycle Rider Training Association (MRTA),
Motorcycle Retailers Association (MRA), RAC Foundation, Institute
of Highway Incorporated Engineers (IHIE), Kill Spills Group,
Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Local Authority Road
Safety Officers' Association (LARSOA), Transport for London
(TfL), and the Department for Transport (DfT) and its agencies,
Driving Standards Agency (DSA), Highways Agency (HA), Vehicle
Operator and Services Agency (VOSA).
5. In March 2007 the Transport Select Committee published its
report on its inquiry into the Government's Motorcycling
Strategy, to which the DfT responded in June 2007. We gave an
undertaking to review and publish revised actions.
6. Our overall Strategy remains as set out in 2005. The revised
action plan contains two parts. Firstly, it includes our new
action plan, as agreed with the NMC. This sets out what we and our
partners will be doing over the next few years to take forward the Strategy.
7. The second part of the document sets out in more detail
progress with the original actions in the 2005 Strategy. As well
as explaining what we have done so far, this provides the
background to the new action plan and the changes that have been made.
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Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk