A new partnership in the UK could result in safer roads for motorcyclists. 

Realising the Motorcycling Opportunity has been around since 2014. It's the framework for a motorcycle and safety transport policy. A joint venture between the Motorcycle Industry Association and the National Police Chiefs' Council. But now a new partner is on board to help: Highways England. 

The three-way project is broken into seven schemes. Schemes that focus on the changes that can be made to educate about safety. And schemes that will promote motorcycling as a whole as well a improve road infrastructure. 

Here's an overview of what the Motorcycle Framework hopes to do:

Through:

  
• Introducing compulsory road safety education in schools
  
• Changing the current theory test to a generic multi-mode one, which focuses more on awareness of the causes of collisions
  
• Obtaining greater recognition and consideration by the government

Through:

  
• Improving current pre-testing and CBT training
  
• Making better use of and gaining increased recognition of current schemes such as RIDE and BikeSafe
  
• Increasing safety messages and encouraging the continuous improvement of both drivers and riders

Through:

  
• Ensuring motorcycling receives proportionate support in both safety and transport policies
  
• Encouraging other government departments to realise the potential of the motorcycling industry

Through:

  
• Establishing a better roads infrastructure policy to reduce rider vulnerability
  
• Conducting case studies of the provision of safer motorcycle infrastructure
  
• Promoting investment in safer infrastructures for motorcyclists

Through:

  
• Establishing incentives for ultra low emission motorcycles
  
• Creating a wider awareness of the motorcycle industry's contribution to the UK economy
  
• Establishing a 'motorcycle to work scheme' as an incentive to motorcycle commuting

Through:

  
• Ensuring the motorcycle industry engages with society's aims 
  
• Encouraging the development of safer motorcycles and equipment

Through:

  
• Developing new 'two-wheeled' policies which consider the issues shared between cyclists and motorcyclists
  
• Developing a better partnership with the bicycle industry and cycling groups

Visit www.motorcycleframework.co.uk for more information.

We hope that with more bodies involved, this scheme has a chance of greater success. The policies laid out would benefit motorcyclists as individuals as well as the industry as a whole. 

We wish them the best of luck.

What do you think would improve motorcycling in the UK? Share your thoughts with us at [email protected]. 

15/12.16 - Advanced training should be promoted and open to all on two wheels with real incentive to encourage people to dedicate time for extra training. This training should always be with n speed limits posted and should be teaching about mentality, attitude, forward planning and ride skill developement. Not weekend groups under the banner of an Advanced group on a 'open speed limit'thrill for those with bikes above 500cc

          16/12/16 - Not only should advanced training be encouraged for two wheel users, ALL road users should do the same. Passing the test is just the start of driving.

          16/12/16 - id like to do advanced driving in my van. When i passed my test, i would have nice to have been given some information on advanced driving courses.

15/12.16 - Bikes by their very nature are inherently dangerous. Bikers , in my humble opinion, are some of the safest car-drivers around. Make every potential car driver spend a month on a Moped

          15/12.16 - Make them do 2 years on a provisional licence before being allowed to apply for a car licence. This time on a bike may encourage others to take up the life.

          16/12/16 - good idea

          17/12/16 - Explain how bikes are dangerous by their nature?

           17/12/16 - They're not. However a screw up in a car at low speed might mean a bent bumper. Whereas a bike might mean life altering injuries. We understand the risks and ride accordingly (mostly.)

17/12/16 - I think this would just overload the A&E Dept's as there is a high percentage of young car drivers who have trouble with lace up shoes never mind negotiating a wet diesel strewn roundabout on two wheels .... But I see your logic, In an ideal world this would be great especially for new and used bike sales.

17/12/16 - Bikes aren't inherently dangerous. You are more vulnerable, but that's two different things.

15/12.16 - Maybe young car drivers should go through the same test regime as young bike riders, three tests, limited power when each test is passed, and the same age restrictions to achieve the next power level.

          18/12/16 - Absolutely

          18/12/16 - Make car drivers do a bike course before passing thier test.

15/12.16 - Or any motorcycle

15/12/16 - The same way they have special " Cycle Lanes " they should have Special MOTOR BIKE lanes.

15/12/16 - remove lights on roundabouts and when I say this i mean once your on it thats it till you get off the thing before it yes on it no

15/12/16 - no matter how safe the roads are bikes and cars will still scream along

15/12/16 - Let us us bus lanes

          16/12/16 - In some cities bikes can use the bus lanes, Bristol I know from experience do. It is a choice made by the council so lobbying of your local council could do the trick.

15/12/16 - The same way they have special " Cycle Lanes " they should have Special MOTOR BIKE lanes.

          16/12/16 - A motorcycle is classed as a bicycle for "Road tax". why shouldn't a bike use cycle lanes?

          16/12/16 - Good Point.

          18/12/16 - With no speed limit

15/12/16 - The car test should be made more difficult and structured like the bike test I agree. However I've seen newly passed car drivers who are much safer than some 30-50 year olds with With mainly German cars being driven aggressively while texting on the phone.

16/12/16 - I would love to see better planning and maintenance of roads for bikers.

The times you find a metal manhole cover or unnecessary painted road signs on the natural line or apex of a corner is frightening. In the warm dry weather you hardly notice, on a piss wet through freezing cold winters day they can present a real hazard.

Also, the mess of potholes and rutted, broken Tarmac that annoys car drivers can pose a serious hazard to bikers (human and petrol powered).

Make the road infrastructure safer for bikers through simple intelligent design and you'll reduce crash stats as well as encouraging people to ride.

Education for all road users will always be a positive. I would not go so far as to force all learners to ride mopeds for a spell, but I will say that being a biker has made me much more aware of my surroundings (on two wheels or four) and much more aware of the risks of my actions.

16/12/16 - Any body that wanted to drive a car,should by law spend at least 2yrs on a full powered motorcycle.

16/12/16 - No Cars !!

16/12/16 - Less bumps.

16/12/16 - Better weather.

16/12/16 - Global warming

16/12/16 - Let us use the bus and bike lanes.

16/12/16 - Teach all children the highway code in the curriculum at school ! Make riding a moped for a year part of the driving test requirements Also no claims bonus earned for motorcyclists should be carried over to their car insurance , many ex motorbike riders are much better drivers of cars due to their better awareness of road surfaces and other vehicles Also motorbike. Parking pays should all have a metal railing at each end to stop cars etc reversing into bikes parked in them !!

16/12/16 - Car drivers are not taught to drive, they are taught to pass a test. Motorcyclists have to undergo far more intensive training with age and power of the bike being restrictions on what you can ride on the road. The way the training is structured covers many more aspects of roadcraft, control and safety. Car drivers do not get this kind of training, if they did it would result in better driving standards. Many on our roads are from other countries and do not require any checks to see if they are capable and safe on the roads. If the route to a car licence was structured like the motorcycle tests it would drastically cut accident rates.

          17/12/16 - If we are honest, you are taught to pass your bike test. When let loose and push it a little you soon discover no one really taught you how to ride a bike. But it's fun working it out for yourself.

16/12/16 - No cars would be safer

16/12/16 - For starters bring the drain covers level with the roads and fill the pot holes in !

16/12/16 - Govt provided free upgrades of abs brakes to all bike owners and free rd tax. Also bikers should have fewer speed restrictions.

16/12/16 - Get rid of cars. ! Pops.

16/12/16 - Bring back the 250cc limit for learners over 21 todays 125s dont cut the mustard on todays roads

16/12/16 - A simple one that is a no brainer and the infrastructure is already there to do it it just needs knitting together is a compulsory eye test ever two years...if you fail with your current prescription and don't update it..banned...if you are caught driving or in a road traffic accident without necessary specs etc prosecute for Dangerous driving or even manslaughter if the outcome is gruesome...as a few high profile cases broadcast folk might think twice !!!! with our ageing population it has got to happen...

16/12/16 - More race tracks with free trackdays for bikes would make the country a much better place

16/12/16 - Being allowed to carry a 357 magnum.just shoot shitty road users and muppets on phones.

16/12/16 - Education of dozy ignorant fucking car drivers, that have no conception of motorbikes, olso lot heavier fine if caught on there fkn phones.

16/12/16 - In my youth we couldn't afford cars so we had a few years as a biker

16/12/16 - This is from my experience of dealing with local government just an expensive waste of time. I have been fighting for nearly a decade to get my local council to allow motorcycles to use bus lanes. This was actually sent down as a directive years ago from central government, but the final say goes to the opinion of the council. If they are inherently anti biker, they just tie up the directive in red tape as they have done in Cheltenham.

16/12/16 - On Motorways, when the traffic flow is down to 10mph or less (say), motorcyclists should be allowed, with due care, to undertake at up to 40mph (say) on the hard shoulder. But they should remain totally alert to emergency vehicles coming up from behind.

          18/12/16 - Like that will happen, the 40 mph and staying alert. Remember it only takes one X - Ranger to make us all look like louts!

          18/12/16 - Gotta be a lot safer passing stationary, or very slow moving traffic on a motorway by riding down the hard shoulder, than running the gauntlet of riding along between idiots who are just as likely to switch lanes if they think the other lane is moving faster than their own.

          18/12/16 - I agree with you fully, however I know for a fact that some ass would wheelie past the stationary traffic giving the finger and give us all a vote of no confidence. Plus of course many of our motorways now do not have a hard shoulder to allow access to emergency vehicles.

16/12/16 - Norwich council cycleway mega construction and reduce speed madness is to build raised tables with painted arrows and multitudes of white lines . Its like an off road course with ice . Different road surfaces depending on which bit of road is new , painted mini roundabouts and tight angled turning . Half the city closed off to cars causing stand still. And do drivers let us filter ,NO because as far as they are concerned its no allowed. Flash their lights as we try and avoid the slippery marking and honk their horns when we slow to a crawl to get over the mountainous raised tables. How l would like them to sit on the back and see what we have to put up with.

          16/12/16 - Pro cyclist anti biker, local government is rammed full if them

16/12/16 - The only worthwhile change would be stricter car driver testing, making them be fully aware of how to treat motorcycles safely, rather than at present allowing cars to tailgate motorcycles, turn in front of them, deliberately baulk them in traffic, etc. etc.

17/12/16 - Allow motorbikes to use bus lanes. Allow motorbikes to use restricted byways. Improve the test, wrt awareness of other road users, for car drivers.

17/12/16 - Way more BUILDING, REPAIRING ACTUALLY BRAIN USING BIKERS on the Road & FAR LESS BRAIN DEAD USELESS BUYING Riders.

17/12/16 - Better waterproof gear....

17/12/16 - Maybe we motorcyclists could help ourselves by staying within the speed limits in built up areas. Also if the government saw us as real people in a minority group, instead of making it harder and harder to become a motorcyclist. We need a platform of sense not MotoGP replica riders doing wheelies from the lights. We do not help ourselves, we criticise everyone else, our publications show us as irresponsible, knee down wheelie stop pie pictures with strap lines like " we see how quick the new Honduki600 really is" not a good look to people who want rid of us is it?

17/12/16 - Ban cars!

17/12/16 - Car drivers doing a CBT as part of there driving license just to see how vulnerable we are without the metal box around us

17/12/16 - Stop dressing roads with loose chippings.

17/12/16 - All road users need to spend some time on a bike before they can learn to drive a car.

17/12/16 - Harsher penalties for careless and dangerous driving. Too much of a war on speed, not enough of a war on stupidity and a lack of observation and foresight.

17/12/16 - Better weather

18/12/16 - The basic car test is not good enough I've noticed over the past few years that the standard of driving in this country has dropped hugely.Bikers are much more aware and switched on to what's happening around them than your average car driver!ie no mobile phone or mp3player, sat nav to interrupt your concentration. May I say drivers flicking cigarettes out of their windows really pi..es me off no thought given to bikers or cyclists behind!IGNORANCE of the highest order.

18/12/16 - All car drivers should go on a bike for 12 month before being let loose on the road.

18/12/16 - Sunshine! That'd be the best improvement for motorcycling in the U.K.

18/12/16 - I feel that motorist's on the continent are more aware of bikes I'd rather travel in Europe than the UK

18/12/16 - Simple, better, more tolerant, more observant drivers. Good luck with that. In the meantime I will continue to think for everyone else on the road.

18/12/16 - Teaching people to actually drive cars and not just to pass a test...

05/01/17 - Make cbt compulsory for all road users done on mopeds, then car drivers might have a better understanding of motorcycles and be more aware of their presence