BMF press release

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PRESS RELEASE: BMF SPEAKS OUT ON BIKE ACCIDENT CRISIS IN CAPITAL. The British Motorcyclists Federation has joined the Metropolitan Police, Transport for London (TfL) and road safety campaigning groups in expressing serious concern over a sudden surge in the deaths of bikers on the capital’s roads. In the past week, five motorcyclists – all young men – have been tragically killed in collisions in Croydon, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon and Richmond. As a statement by TfL noted, this brings “the total number of people who have been killed while riding a motorcycle this year to 16, compared to 11 at this time in 2018”. It is also evident that bikers are a disproportionate risk on London’s roads. TfL’s statement also noted that only three other road users – one pedestrian, one cyclist and one car driver – have been killed in collisions during the same week before going on to confirm that: “Figures show that motorcycle riders and their passengers accounted for 17 per cent of serious injuries and 20 per cent of all road fatalities in the capital during 2018, despite making up just one per cent of road traffic.” Commenting, the BMF’s Political and Technical Services Director Anna Zee said: “Obviously this spate of deaths is of great concern to us. It is really important to understand the reasons for all collisions in order to determine the appropriate measures to prevent them. The BMF is also concerned that measures taken to encourage active travel may have also made conditions more dangerous more motorcyclists.” Safety advice about motorcycling in London and contact details of training providers can be found here https://tfl.gov.uk/travel-information/safety/road-safety-advice/motorcycling-in-london. FOR THE BMF.