Good to see data analytics being promoted, and the establishment of a new Road Safety Investigation Branch, who hopefully will be looking at ‘black box’ data.
Great to see training and testing being reviewed. Hopefully emergency braking from 60 mph will be included. According to DVSA figures it currently takes 24 years for 80% of riders to become competent, so room for improvement? Young riders are at very high risk.
It would be good to see technology address reaction times with auto closing or trigger throttles (and heel and toeing for cars etc). Could reduce impact speeds by 10-20 mph.
Good to see a Road Policing Review. Enforcement is next to non-existent so good to see this being addressed. Maybe using traffic cameras to warn drivers or riders of their behaviour?
Sad to see E-Scooters still being considered after >50 deaths and probably >1,000 serious injuries. 80% were avoidable as they are 5 x more hazardous than any other form of transport (TRL and WMG reports).
No recognition of young rider issues. 40% of fatalities <19 are underage, more won’t have a licence. Very steep learning curve.
National Guidelines and Lifelong Learning welcomed, and supporting THINK!
Interesting to see new Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs), however the obsession with ‘speeding’ continues, despite it being only a factor in 16% of collisions.
Speeding appears twice, as it’s an overall SPI as well as being specific to motorcycles.
‘Dangerous riding/driving’ is completely missing, despite being a recorded factor in 33% of collisions, twice as high as speeding.
The government’s current ‘hidden strategy’ for motorcycles is currently outlined on National Highway’s BikeTrek website, having employed unlicensed trainers from an unapproved company to encourage ‘Track to Road – Push your Performance’ riding (from their advertising), in flagrant breach of current official advice from the DVSA and NPCC via Roadcraft.
Hopefully this will now be taken down, commonsense will prevail, and the licensing of all commercial motorcycle trainers enforced to stop these and ‘emergency response’ and ‘pursuit’ behaviours from being continually passed on to the public.
The problem has remained unidentified within the Government’s accident data of ‘contributory factors‘ probably within ‘loss of control,’ or simply not recorded.
These are the findings based on slide marks left on the road and the severity of the impact, based on the damage to vehicles and injuries to the rider, confirmed by traffic camera footage and GPS data from helmet cameras.
Riders falling and sliding down the road take far longer to come to a stop.
Published Research has also found that circa 50% of riders cannot even achieve Highway Code stopping distances.
The research also found that the difference between the best riders and an average rider braking from 60 mph, is the difference between stopping in time and a 30 mph impact, or a 40 mph probably fatal impact for the worst riders.
Research has also shown that the problem is not related to the level of rider experience.
The situation is not helped by conflicting and misleading published advice from the DVSA and in Police Motorcycle Roadcraft, on emergency braking.
The conclusion has to be that we as a training industry are failing riders, and this must be urgently addressed.
In the meantime, riders can brake test themselves (with care) using a phone App such as iAccel Lite which is free. 0.67g is the Highway Code Standard, 0.8g is achievable with practice (with great care). Advice on braking is below, but if in any doubt please contact your local training organisation.
Riders need to practice repeatedly until the technique becomes embedded and automatic. In theory, this takes 200 repetitions to create the required ‘muscle memory‘, enabling maximum braking without conscious thought.
Riders on machines without ABS should never practise on their own, due to the risk of a skid and fall.
Racers and trackday riders should mostly already be ‘pre-programmed’ and capable of close to 1g.
Background
At the end of 2023, the MCIA called for a new motorcycle safety strategy. ‘Speeding’ and ‘Think Bike’ have been pursued for well over a decade, but motorcycle casualties haven’t reduced over the last few years.
Adhering to speed limits and being aware of hazards is only part of the problem. It’s also being able to brake in time. Having trained riders for 14 years, we know that many if not most, with training, can reduce their stopping distances significantly.
What we didn’t appreciate was the extent of the problem and the very serious implications for road safety.
For car drivers, stopping in an emergency just requires the driver to stamp on the brakes even when cornering, as almost all vehicles have ABS (anti-lock) brakes. ABS has only been compulsory since 2016 for motorcycles >125cc.
The problem has remained hidden as ‘failure to brake properly’ is not a ‘contributory factor’ in accident statistics.
A failure to brake in time could also be incorrectly classed as ‘Speeding‘, which in the 2022 accident stats shows as 10x more likely for riders than drivers. It could also be lost within ‘Failed to look properly‘ when the rider anticipated the collision but couldn’t stop in time, or within ‘Learner/inexperienced‘. In addition, 30% of collisions have no recorded contributory factors, up from 14% in 2013.
This is primarily because most motorcycles, except for some 2013 Kawasakis, don’t have ‘Event Data Recorders‘ whereas many cars do. However, extracted post-crash data from traffic cameras and rider’s helmet cameras confirms that many riders cannot stop properly.
If you compare the stopping distances from published US research from Axion Forensics, the best ‘Magazine TestRiders‘, can stop at half the distance than the worst road riders.
From 60 mph, this is the difference between stopping in time and a 40 mph probably fatal impact, as braking obeys a ‘square law’.
It is hoped that the Government, trainers, road safety organisations and charities will look at new initiatives to address this root cause, to raise awareness, encourage practise, and provide additional braking advice and training nationwide. The most vulnerable group is +17 years teenage riders who move from a 50cc ‘twist and go’ to a 60 mph 125c geared motorcycle, not required to have ABS with no additional training, but riders, parents and non-DVSA licenced trainers need to be aware of child protection issues.
It is also intended to encourage more research into the problem and to address the differing and contradictory advice from the DVSA and Police Roadcraft, on how to brake in an emergency.
Advice on Braking
Riders on ABS-equipped bikes simply need to have the confidence to apply both brakes firmly, which is often a problem due to current or previous experience on bicycles, when riders can skid and fall, or go over the handlebars.
Based on racing experience, research and theory, riders require a high degree of skill and practice to brake effectively.
Shut the throttle, apply the rear brake, sit up and lean back, all at the same time.
Reach forward and squeeze – do not snatch – the front brake with increasing pressure.
If the front wheel locks, release immediately and reapply.
If the rear wheel lifts, release some front brake pressure to stop the bike tipping forward.
Disengage the clutch as you come to a halt
When banked in a corner, just apply the rear brake.
The rear brake should be applied immediately, but on non ABS machines, may need to be steadily released again to avoid the rear wheel skidding.
Riders need to avoid snatching the front brake, instead squeezing the lever with increasing pressure, just enough to avoid locking the front wheel, but enough to transfer the weight as quickly as possible onto the front tyre, then slightly reducing the pressure as the bike slows to leave the rear tyre just lightly touching the road surface.
Riders also have to release the throttle, extend their fingers, grasp the front brake lever and pull, which is thought to extend reaction time for another 0.5 seconds or 44 feet @ 60 mph. So covering the front brake with your first two fingers is recommended, as is using the rear brake, which will be applied sooner as the rider just had to press their foot down.
Riders can also ‘trail brake’ into corners in an emergency, braking and steering at the same time, as racers do, but it requiries a high degree of skill, and very careful instruction which is best undertaken on a track.
Feedback is welcomed, and further posts and advice are planned.
In response to the call, below are some suggestions for a new strategy for motorcycle casualty reduction.
Motorcycle Braking and Cornering
Riding Test to include:-
emergency braking from 60 mph (currently 30 mph).
cornering on rural roads
banking a motorcycle to at least 30 degrees on corners
Riders to be trained to:-
brake safely into and around corners in an emergency.
to countersteer.
Ensure riders are aware of ‘target fixation’ and ‘you go where you are looking‘.
Current DVSA advice on emergency braking to apply front brake before the rear to be reviewed and changed to applying both brakes at same time.
New suggested cornering lines to be published, with a wide entry and late apex for increased safety.
Linked ABS to be mandatory for all PTWs over 50cc, specifically including 125cc which are currently exempt, as these are the PTWs that riders learn to ride on.
A maximum tyre age – suggest 10 years – for motorcycles to be enforced at MOT.
Safety Campaigns
Focus to move away from speeding – to braking, reaction times, paying proper attention, and duty of care.
New focus on thoughtless, careless and reckless driving and riding, advising of the illusion of safety in vehicles, and the consequences of collisions for vehicle occupants and riders, particularly above 30 mph, using case studies.
Car drivers to be made aware that occupants can be killed by a side impact from a motorcycle at a junction.
Motorcycle riders to be made aware of the dangers of cornering on rural roads.
‘Know the Dangers’ presentation on T junctions to be promoted more effectively.
Oil and diesel leaks from vehicles, overfilling, leaking caps and poor maintenance.
Further research by Professor Alex Stedmon on road markings to be pursued.
Pre-emptive Interventions
High risk drivers and riders to be identified via effective road policing and the use of traffic cameras.
All collisions, even minor, to be reported to the police.
Insurance companies to be required to advise the police of any reported collisions.
‘Crash Awareness’ courses for drivers and riders involved in any collision.
Compulsory retraining and assessments for identified high risk or convicted drivers or riders.
Reintroduction of ‘RIDE’ safety courses nationwide for motorcyclists.
E-Scooters and E-PTWs
E-Scooters to be banned and replaced with E-Cycles (or similar self powered PTW with footrests or footboards instead of pedals) which can meet Highway Code braking standards and negotiate kerbs etc. safely.
Any PTW (or powered single, 3 or 4-wheeler) to be required to meet reasonable safety standards, even for use on private land, particularly braking. This to include currently ‘Ball boards’, ‘Hover boards’, ‘Powered Unicycles’ and ‘Powered Skate Boards’ etc.
New Road Accesses
The Law to be changed to require approval for any new access to the road network, not just to classified roads.
Planning permissions, where these involve safety issues including minimum driveway widths, turning areas, visibility splays and surfacing to be rigidly enforced by local councils, and by the Justice system.
Traffic Enforcement
Illegal parking with 10 metres of road junctions to be enforced.
Training
‘Down Training’ (sitting next to Nellie) for learner trainers to be replaced with a professional vocational course and qualification, including appropriate theory.
Change the Law so that anyone training riders commercially on the public highway, including post-test, must be licenced by the DVSA under current arrangements
Post Test and Young Rider Motorcycle classroom theory training workshops to be promoted and delivered nationwide. (‘SharpRider’ and ‘Twang’ previously designed and delivered for local Road Safety partnerships are available FOC to use nationwide).
Motorcycle Safety Equipment
CE approved neck braces to be investigated for all motorcycle riders.
The Intention is to publish further posts on the above subjects to provide more detail, and provoke further discussion.
I hope that this response will spark a useful debate which will result in a new agreed more effective and rational strategy to reduce motorcycle fatalities and serious injuries.
The ideas are based on over 50 years of riding and racing motorcycles, 14 years experience of working with the local Road Safety Partnerships, the Police, Fire Service BikeSafe, RoSPA, IAM, the DVSA and ACU, fellow trainers and coaches, assessing and training over 2,000 motorcycle riders on road and track, and is also based on published road safety data.
I am also a time-served automotive engineer (Ford), a qualified FE Teacher, and have an MBA which has given me a basic understanding of psychology.
Mike Abbott MBA, RoADAR (Dip), DVSA RPMT 800699, ACU Coach #62210
British Superbike School 