BMF NEWS ROUND UP – October 2023
The monthly news round-up, brought to you by the BMF
During October Anna Zee & Paul Morgan took part in the following meetings:
EV Connect group
Attended by Anna. An online meeting of the EV Connect group which is a new special interest group in the British Parking Association. Presentations included one on ‘myth-busting’ around electric vehicles and others from the Office of Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles. More interesting than you might think but the OPSS has not so far paid any attention to motorcycles.
RoSPA National Road Safety Committee meeting
Attended by Anna, was focussed on 20mph limits. I made the point that while we had no objection to 20mph limits around schools etc, currently the BMF does not have an official policy on 20mph limits.
National Highways (NH)
Attended by Paul and Anna. Discussed the need to update the Institute of Highways Engineers guidelines for motorcycles. NH have a document in the DMRB (Design Manual for Roads & Bridges) about designing for motorcycles (as a result of previous work in the NH Motorcycle Working Group) which we are currently reviewing.
National Motorcyclists Council (NMC)
Attended by Paul and Anna. The Policy Council meeting discussed the program for an election campaign, priority issues for the election manifesto etc. The BMF will have substantial input updating the NMC core policy document and revising the NMC position on motorcycle testing and licencing.
In Other News:
The BMF has agreed to work with Motorcycle Law Scotland (MLS) to improve driver awareness of motorcyclists at junctions. MLS argues that current safety campaign messaging in Scotland, that focuses solely on educating riders about risks and reducing speed, ‘demonises’ motorcyclists. It also creates a false perception amongst other road users that the responsibility for rider safety rests entirely in the hands of the rider. Back in England, Camden Council is looking to introduce motorcycle parking charges, scrapping free parking bays and replacing them with pay-to-park facilities. Increasing numbers of local authorities are seeking to make riders for parking. BMF fully supports Save London Motorcycling‘s campaign against these unwarranted charges.
Nick Sanders latest record breaking round the world trip is on an electric bicycle! Nick is no stranger to pedal power, having pedalled his way to several cycling records before turning to motorcycles. Riding a Yamaha Wabash RT, he’s expecting to be back in April 2024. In less adventurous news, Suzuki is now offering ‘click to buy’ on its 125cc scooter range – customers can buy with one click online before being pointed towards their nearest dealer with the model in stock.
Airbags for bikes will be available in 2025. Autoliv, one of the world’s leading suppliers of airbags for cars, has developed a bag suitable for scooters and small motorcycles. The front-mounted airbag is designed to cope with collisions when vehicles pull out in front of the machine. From safety to convenience – Honda’s latest innovation is the E-clutch, which provides
