BMF NEWS ROUND-UP AUGUST 2026

Lobbying and Political

• Parliament Returns– The BMF is preparing for a busy autumn

With Parliament returning from its summer recess, September marks the start of an important period for UK motorcycling. However, we are unlikely to see any major new policy announcements immediately. With party conference season beginning in October, significant announcements from the new Prime Minister and Government are more likely to come later in the autumn. In the meantime, we will be seeking, with the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC), an early meeting with the new DfT Roads Minister, Justin Madders to discuss motorcycling issues and priorities.

August has inevitably been a quieter month for stakeholder engagement, with Parliament closed and many Government officials and road safety stakeholders taking their summer leave. The BMF has nevertheless continued to work behind the scenes, preparing our priorities and strengthening the evidence base needed to influence Government policy. We have been working closely with the NMC and *Agilysis on the preparation of a comprehensive Compendium of Motorcycling Statisticsand we are also currently finalising the BMF’s response to a number of key Government consultations, including “Regulating Environmental Impacts of In-Use Vehicle Emissions”and the “Statement of Safety Principles for Autonomous Vehicles.”

• Road Safety Strategy– Motorcycling must be taken seriously

The further development of the Government’s new Road Safety Strategy remains one of the BMF’s highest priorities.

Through the DfT/National Highways Motorcycle Strategy Group, the BMF will continue to contribute to discussions on how motorcycle safety can be improved. This includes potential changes to the Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) system, as well as wider measures to tackle the causes of motorcycle collisions and casualties.

The statistics clearly underline why action is needed. Motorcycles now account for around 25% of road casualties despite representing only around 1% of traffic. Motorcycling therefore cannot be treated as a marginal issue within national road safety policy. During the summer the BMF commented on the latest statistics released by the Department for Transport www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-final-results-2025/rrcgb-2025-introduction-and-main-findingsand we took part in a BBC radio interview where we made it clear that the continuing high-level of motorcyclist fatalities and serious injuries on UK roads was not acceptable. We spoke about the pressing need for improved road safety measures for motorcyclists, including reform of the current training, testing and licensing regime, alongside the need for better road surfaces and improved road design.

The recently published United Nations statement on improving motorcycle safety UN's global road safety declaration: www.femamotorcycling.eu/un-road-safety-declaration-2026has placed motorcyclists firmly at the centre of the UN’s latest global road safety strategy, with the UN calling on governments around the world to make roads safer for riders as part of its push to halve road traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. This adds further international pressure for Governments to address the risks faced by motorcyclists. The BMF will continue to argue that the UK needs a comprehensive, evidence-based motorcycle safety programme, which involves all road users, rather than simply expecting riders to bear responsibility for reducing casualties. Our approach will increasingly be based around the Safe System principle: safer roads, safer speeds, safer vehicles, safer road users and effective post-crash response.

• Tackling crime, theft and anti-social behaviour

The launch of the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) Crime Strategy will be an important development this autumn. The strategy will propose a partnership approach involving motorcyclists, Government, police and other law-enforcement agencies to tackle a range of problems affecting our community. These include:

● motorcycle theft and the organised crime gangs behind it;

● motorcycles being used in crime, including street crime and County Lines drug activity;

● dangerous behaviour, including excessive speeding, involving a minority motorcycle users who   are often uninsured;

● illegally modified and dangerously ridden e-bikes;

The message from the legitimate motorcycle community must be clear: we want effective enforcement against criminal and anti-social behaviour because it not only damages communities but also the reputation and freedom of responsible riders.

There are some encouraging signs. Motorcycle theft is showing signs of improvement, with theft rates declining in some areas and more stolen motorcycles being recovered. The BMF and NMC will continue to press for better national intelligence, increased police enforcement and improved recovery measures.

Police forces, including the Metropolitan Police, have now established specialist operations targeting e-Bike and motorcycle-related anti-social behaviour and street crime and are reporting successes. Police also now have enhanced powers to seize and, where appropriate, crush vehicles involved in serious offending. These powers will help the Police deal with car and motorcycle offenders, who are increasingly using Tik Tok and other social media platforms to broadcast and glorify reckless antisocial, and illegal road behaviour for online “kudos” and views. This is unfortunately a growing trend which has featured in extensive media reporting over the summer. The Ace Café in London has recently been forced to extend its temporary closure on Friday evenings and cancel bike nights, that have been held for over 30 years, due to severe and persistent anti-social and dangerous riding behaviour on the public highway immediately outside the venue.

• A stronger lobbying strategy – Safe System and partnership

As previously reported, autumn will also provide an opportunity for the BMF and NMC to review and strengthen the motorcycle lobby’s overall strategy.

We need to ensure that motorcycling is consistently presented to Government not simply as a special-interest issue, but as an important part of the UK’s future transport system. A Safe System approach provides a strong framework for doing this. It allows us to combine our road-safety arguments with the wider benefits of motorcycling: affordable mobility, reduced congestion, access to employment and education, rural connectivity and economic contribution.

We also need to continue to build alliances beyond the traditional motorcycle organisations – with road safety organisations, local authorities, transport professionals, business, rural communities, young people and other road-user groups. The Government’s plans to actively shift road safety and transport decision-making powers to regional leaders through the newly enacted English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 and the national 2026 Road Safety Strategywill make this work a key priority over the coming years.

Looking Ahead

The next few months will be important. Party conferences will set the political agenda for the year ahead and provide opportunities for the BMF to engage with politicians and policymakers. We expect to see further Government announcements with regard to Net Zero targets and will be seeking further clarification on the Government’s future decarbonisation plans for powered two wheelers.

Our key objective will be to ensure that motorcycling is recognised by Government as a legitimate, valuable and sustainable part of the UK’s future transport mix – while demonstrating that the motorcycle community is committed to improving safety and tackling crime and anti-social behaviour. The BMF will continue to represent riders’ interests at all levels while working constructively with Government, police, road authorities and other key stakeholders.

Paul Morgan CBE paul.morgan@bmf.co.uk  

BMF Government Relations Executive

Anna Zee anna.zee@bmf.co.uk  

BMF Director of Political and Technical Services