Skip to main content

Motorcycle Safety Action Plan for London

The Mayor of London and Transport for London (TfL) have published the capital's first Motorcycle Safety Action Plan designed to directly reduce the number of collisions involving motorcyclists and scooter riders. One of TfL’s top priorities is to reduce by 40 per cent the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on London’s roads by 2020. Recently, the Mayor and TfL published six commitments which, working with a range of partners, are guiding a range of work to deliver this. In particular, ac
March 21, 2014 Read time: 3 mins
The Mayor of London and 1466 Transport for London (TfL) have published the capital's first Motorcycle Safety Action Plan designed to directly reduce the number of collisions involving motorcyclists and scooter riders.

One of TfL’s top priorities is to reduce by 40 per cent the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on London’s roads by 2020.  Recently, the Mayor and TfL published six commitments which, working with a range of partners, are guiding a range of work to deliver this. In particular, action is being taken to prioritise the safety of the most vulnerable road users:  pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

TfL is redoubling efforts to improve motorcycle safety through its new Motorcycle Safety Action Plan, which was compiled by TfL working with representatives from the motorcycle industry and is based on detailed analysis of the risks and challenges faced by riders in London.

It outlines 29 key actions which will directly target the key factors in collisions, which will help to reduce motorcyclist casualties across London. The actions include: a TfL-funded Metropolitan Police Motorcycle Tasking Team to increase enforcement activity by 40 per cent, which will allow the team to further clamp down on dangerous behaviour such as speeding, careless riding and actions by other road users such as turning across motorcyclists at junctions; better use of offender retraining for motorcyclists as an alternative to prosecutions; promotion of the use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) by motorcyclists, which can severely reduce the severity of injuries when involved in a collision.

Monthly high-visibility operations will also take place across London to target motorcycle, as well as cyclists and pedestrian safety. TfL will also carry out on-street trials of new technologies specifically designed to make motorcycling safer, such as innovative headlights which make motorcycles look larger to help reduce right turn collisions.

Other proposals include hard-hitting safety campaigns, a new Motorcycle Courier and Delivery Code and new design guidance for motorcyclists specifically tailored for London’s roads.

TfL has also published a new independent report which provides, for the first time, detailed analysis of fatal motorcycle collisions in London. This research looked at the police investigation reports for all fatal collisions between 2006 and 2009 and showed that most fatal collisions during this period (45 per cent) involved a “loss of control”, with half of these being recorded as exceeding the speed limit. A further 22 per cent involved vehicles turning across the path of the motorcyclist.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Bosch prepares for mandatory ABS for motorcycles in Europe
    March 2, 2012
    Bosch has announced the development of an independent series of ABS specifically designed for motorcycles. Mandatory ABS for motorcycles is part of the presented EU commission draft framework regulation for motorcycles and is intended to apply to motorcycles with more than 125 cc displacement.
  • TfL opts for RedSpeed safety cameras
    September 22, 2014
    RedSpeed International is to supply around 600 speed and red light safety cameras to Transport for London (TfL). The award is the result of a process which started in August 2012 and will see the company’s SpeedCurb and RedSpeed products progressively installed with a completion date of October 2016. The installation of the RedSpeed digital red light camera replacement in London has already started. The cameras not only enforce against red light running, but also monitor and enforce against vehicles brea
  • New London Freight Enforcement Partnership launched
    October 13, 2015
    London’s streets are set to be safer for all road users, say the members of the new London Freight Enforcement Partnership, which will build on the work of Transport for London (TfL) and partner agencies, including the Industrial HGV Task Force and Commercial Vehicle Units. It will further tackle unsafe HGVs and take any non-compliant and unsafe commercial vehicles, drivers and operators off London’s streets. The partnership, between TfL, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the Metropolitan P
  • London may trial Dutch-style roundabouts
    April 30, 2013
    Roundabouts similar to those used in the Netherlands, which separate cyclists from cars and give them priority, could be used in London as early as next year, subject to government approval, according to Transport for London (TfL). TfL has begun a major cycle safety research project to trial new and innovative junction layouts and traffic technology that, if successful, could be introduced in London and potentially more widely across the UK. The trials, which are being carried out for TfL by the Transport R