BIKING OVER HURDLES
12 August 2005 - BMF

BMF OPPOSES UNNECESSARY EURO LICENCING PROPOSALS

Proposals for a new driving licence regime, due to be introduced in 2011 and contained in the EU Third Driving Licences Directive, are unnecessary; are overly complicated and will be ineffectual say the BMF

The complex Directive, which attempts to rationalise many aspects of car and motorcycle driving licences across Europe, contains proposals for motorcycling that seem to fly in the face of all that is known about motorcycle experience and related accidents. They will do nothing in themselves to reduce risk, but through their complexity they are a crude attempt to deter anyone other than the determined from taking up motorcycling say the 140,000 strong BMF.

The Directive will therefore exclude young people under 19 who seek the independence of a motorcycle as against a moped and discriminate against people who wish to progress up the capacity ladder - unlike the car driver, say the BMF whose only restriction is the size of their wallet!

The main points are:

· The introduction of three motorcycle categories:

A1 - Light motorcycle less than 125cc/11kW
A2 - Intermediate motorcycle less than 35kW
A - Unlimited motorcycle over 35kW

· For Progressive Access in the UK, the minimum age for riding bikes and scooters over 125cc rises from 17 to 19.

· Direct Access to machines larger than 35 kW only after age 24 (currently 21)

· Introduces extra two-year ‘steps’ between bikes of different engine power

· Riders will be required to complete extra riding tests between ‘steps’.

The system currently in place under the Second EU Driving Licence Directive is already difficult to understand by riders and the authorities alike. Confused by the existing regime, the authorities will find it impossible to properly comprehend and act upon and police a new Directive.

The proposals ignore the recent three-year ‘Motorcycle Accidents in Depth’ (MAIDS) study that found that it was not the age of access but experience gained through riding that was a key factor. The proposals also ignore the fact that MAIDS showed that over half of all motorcycle accidents are caused by other road users.

The BMF says that increasing ages of access will not address road safety issues because the most vulnerable group are acknowledged to be riders in their mid 30s and older who have taken the motorcycle Direct Access Scheme route.

The BMF also points out that retrospective amendments to the Second EU Driving Licence Directive will in any case lead to a more stringent motorcycle test to be introduced in 2008. If the proposed Third EU Driving Licence Directive goes ahead, it will be agreed before this has had the opportunity to demonstrate its effectiveness.

The BMF says that the motorcycling measures in these proposals should therefore be dropped and the effects of the changes contained in the existing second directive fully reviewed. At the very least, say the BMF, the European Parliament should resist any proposals to prematurely complete consideration of the draft directive.

The BMF’s Government Relations Executive Trevor Magner said “It’s amazing that the EU could spend hundreds of thousands of Euros on the MAIDS research and then ignore the findings! It does what legislators have always done, ignore the failings of other road users and shift the blame on to motorcyclists.”

Pointing out that the new proposals were unwarranted and unjustified, he went on to say: “The BMF supports the British Government’s Motorcycling Strategy which has undertaken to improve motorcycle testing and training with a register of instructors; a review of Direct Access; incentives to take post-test training; encouragement of police BikeSafe assessments; and implementation of rider improvement courses for those committing minor road traffic offences. These proposals target the perceived problem areas which the draft directive does not.”

The BMF says that the UK Government should use its Presidency to ensure this Euro hotchpotch does not see the light of day. With the current negativity by its citizens towards the development of the European Union, these ill-conceived proposals in the draft directive will only serve to reinforce this view.

www.betterbiking.co.uk

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