The latest in BDN’s series focusing on the MCIA’s Motorcycle Safety and Transport Policy Framework explained the Partnership with Cycling strategy, which actually embraces the interests of all vulnerable road users. Jenny Luckman, programme manager for the framework, writes:
If you had to describe yourself by a mode of transport you use, what would it be? Driver? Cyclist? Pedestrian? Equestrian? If you’re reading BDN, then you will most likely identify as a motorcyclist, but the idea that we belong to different road “tribes” is generally not a good thing for blood pressure. It is easy for rivalry between certain groups to develop and before you know it, you may have alienated potential allies. This seems particularly true with riders of motorcycles and bicycles.
Before writing this column I did some research to see if I could find much online regarding any ongoing conflict between motorcyclists and cyclists. The first proper story I found dates back to 2014. It was about a spat between a cyclist and motorcyclist recorded for all to see on a head cam and uploaded to YouTube, which has since been removed. This type of “evidence”, especially when it’s distributed widely on social media, can often be interpreted as a phenomenon. But given the scarcity of more recent stories, I would venture to say that it is not particularly widespread.
My conclusion is shared by the MCIA, Highways England and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, which all feel that cyclists and motorcyclists have too much in common not to work together on joint areas of concern. That is where Theme Seven of the Framework comes in, by promoting a Partnership with Cycling.
JUSTIFIABLE RESENTMENT
Perceived animosity between motorcyclists and cyclists probably dates to the days when cycle groups in London lobbied against allowing powered-two-wheelers in bus lanes. Transport for London research found that PTWs did not compromise the safety of cyclists, which resulted in opening bus lanes to both. Of course, scratch the surface and there’s some justifiable resentment within the motorcycle lobby about the amount of financial and moral support cycling gets from local and national government. Look at any local authority travel “choices” website, and you may be forgiven for thinking there are only two choices: walking or cycling. Vast sums have been spent telling us to do one or the other, and this message is likely to become even more prevalent with a further £1.2 billion boost from the government to support an increased uptake of both.
Telling people to do something is not the same as getting them to do it, and according to information collated by Cycling UK, the number of men in England and Wales commuting to work on a bicycle is 3.9% and 1.6% for women. In Scotland the numbers for cycle commuters are lower: 2.1% of male workers and 0.6% of female workers. Finding out why fewer women cycle is the key to working out what the barriers to entry are. The same goes for motorcycling. Identify the barriers for one group, and you identify them for all.
Perception of safety is cited as a major reason why women don’t want to get on to a bicycle and probably applies to motorcycling too. I’ve commuted on a scooter and a bicycle and have had my fair share of near misses on both. I’ve absorbed “hate rays” beamed at me from the eyes of motorists. I’ve had people nearly topple me when they open their car doors without looking, I’ve nearly fallen into potholes you could drown in and I’ve been passed at speed by cars and vans whose drivers believe two inches of clearance is more than enough. I’ve also experienced well-mannered behaviour from all modes of transport, which is the sort of conduct Theme Seven hopes to grow.
LOBBY GROUP
I have mentioned before that the Motorcycle Safety and Transport Policy Framework is very much a working document and when Theme Seven was first conceived, it was to get the cycling and motorcycle lobby to work together on areas which affect both groups. That aim has expanded to include other vulnerable road users. This came about after Steve Kenward and I presented the Framework at the 3rd Road Safety Briefing at Salford University in February. We also watched presentations by BikeRight!, Cycling UK and the British Horse Society, which were almost identical in their aims and concerns to ours. We knew then that we needed to expand this theme to accommodate all vulnerable road users and to include pedestrians, older drivers and children.
This has been well received by other stakeholders and we intend to form a group to lobby on common areas. We can also encourage each group to take account of other vulnerable road users in their training, which allows us to influence each other. For example, working together on shared areas of danger such as potholes, close passing and “car dooring” will give us a stronger voice.
The idea that motorcyclists and cyclists are still at war was further proven a nonsense according to a recent piece of research by MCIA members’ Carole Nash. A survey of over 2000 motorcyclists revealed 90% also owned a bicycle and I’ll wager a lot of them use the pavements as pedestrians too. Looking for what we have in common with other vulnerable road users is going to be far more powerful than concentrating on differences