Riders’ rights group the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) is calling for caution when it comes to new self-driving vehicle technology being launched on Britain’s roads. The group is concerned that proposals to fast-track pilot schemes for driverless taxis and buses might pose a risk to motorcyclists unless vital safety rules are put in place beforehand.
The call came after transport secretary Heidi Alexander announced a spring 2026 launch for a series of commercial self-driving pilot tests on English roads. The schemes will allow firms to try out small-scale bus and taxi services without having a safety driver in place at all times – a first in Britain. And the schemes will kick off before the relevant law, contained in the Automated Vehicles Act, has been enacted.
According to the NMC, the move risks reducing safety for motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users in a “rush” to deliver driverless public services. In its statement, the NMC says it cannot support the proposals unless it’s clear that driverless vehicles will not increase the risk to any other road user. It also adds that automated vehicles must always be capable of correctly identifying and responding to motorcycles, which regularly change lanes and position on the road whilst completing overtaking and filtering manoeuvres. Automated vehicles must also be able to detect low-impact collisions on any part of the vehicle, while reliably recognising motorcycles at junctions.
NMC executive director Craig Carey-Clinch said: “It is essential that the government gets this right. A thirst for growth cannot come before safety, particularly for the most vulnerable on the UK’s roads and ‘fast tracking’ inevitably means compromises. We urge the transport secretary to carefully consider her next steps and not fast-track pilots before the Statement of Safety Principles is fully developed and implemented on a proper timescale under the AV Act.”