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The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG UK) response to the Draft ACPO National Motorcycle Enforcement Strategy
Introduction and Overview
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG UK) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Draft ACPO National Motorcycle Enforcement Strategy.
MAG UK has worked closely with the police at both national and local level over several years through the BikeSafe scheme, anti theft schemes and in numerous motorcycle forums throughout the UK on many of the issues raised in the strategy document.
The ACPO strategy mentions the introduction of the Governments National Motorcycle Strategy in February 2005.
MAG UK was heavily involved over several years with the Government Advisory Group for Motorcycling which reported to government in 2004 and led to the publication of the National Motorcycle Strategy.
MAG UK is now working with the motorcycle community and government to deliver the National Motorcycle Strategy and hopes that ACPO will accept the invitation to join specific working groups that they have been asked to participate in.
We have supported the approach to motorcycle issues through education, enforcement, engineering and engagement and generally welcome the recognition of the need for a co-ordinated approach. Whether all these issues can all be achieved by an enforcement strategy would be a matter for debate and perhaps outside the remit of this response.
We welcome the rationale and the pragmatic approach surrounding the issues in relation to the size of registration plates, tinted visors and coloured headlamps/covers.
These issues are reflected in anecdotal reports to MAG UK from motorcyclists who are stopped at road side checks. These riders inform us that registration plates are measured by rulers/vernier callipers, and are subject to prosecution for the use of non standard fitted tinted visors on bright sunny days and coloured headlamps/covers.
Motorcyclists view the latter two issues as a means to enhance their safety when appropriately used and that these road side checks are seen as an attempt to find offences when no other offence can be found. On occasions as the strategy highlights, these issues can lead to distrust and animosity amongst motorcyclists towards the police.
We welcome the mention of the valued asset of officer discretion. The experience of this author as a retired police officer and from other motorcyclists, is that in the right circumstances for certain offences, a stern warning and advice can be far more effective than a ticket issued for a non-endorsable offence. Especially if the riders know they have behaved inappropriately, an officer can use his discretion to assess the 'attitude' of a rider and move accordingly from warning and advice to prosecution in certain circumstances. It is MAG’s opinion in certain cases, prosecution does not necessarily need to follow, but due to policy, an officer may have targets to meet.
MAG UK would take this opportunity to discuss the issues of education, engineering and engagement and whether these objectives can all be achieved by an enforcement strategy.
The draft strategy argues that "There should be an emphasis on securing compliance through education, encouragement and advice, with a clear statement of intent to deal appropriately with serious and /or persistent offenders." However, in MAG UK’s view, education and engagement would be considered as the continuation of the national police Bikesafe scheme which has built up a reputation of trust and respect amongst motorcyclists due tothe professional assessment of skills and attitude to road safety and to the police. Bikesafe is an example of best practice and is a commendable method of skills assessment so that riders understand and embrace the laws of the land.
In the context of engineering the only connection between engineering and enforcement that MAG UK can draw from the draft strategy would pertain to construction and use as regards illegal exhausts, which will be covered later in this document.
However, engineering in the context of the road infrastructure is a concern for motorcyclists especially concerning the road surface e.g. potholes, overbanding, SMA (Stone Mastic Asphalt), man hole service covers, painted surfaces and the placing of road side furniture e.g. road signs, lamp posts, crash barriers.
The IHIE (Institute of Highway Incorporated Engineers) [1] published its Guidelines for Motorcycling in April 2005, improving safety through engineering and integration, to assist highway and traffic engineers in developing a safer and more motorcycle friendly road environment.
The most recent concerns regarding road surfaces for motorcyclists is the contamination of the road surface by diesel spills, which in the autumn of 2003 led to the formation of the KillSpills campaign [2]. The motorcyclist’s perspective of police enforcement to the prosecution of those responsible for these spills can be seen at best as inconsistent and below a duty of care for motorcyclists’ safety.
With regards to road infrastructure, MAG’s main concerns are in relation to central reservations and road side crash barriers (Armco and Wire Rope Barrier types).
The Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Federation (FEMA) which MAG UK is a member, have highlighted these concerns and produced a document, "The Road to Success" [3] which recommends the fitting of motorcycle friendly crash barriers and the removal of wire rope barriers.
As previously mentioned these issues are perhaps outside the remit of the ACPO strategy but police involvement must be considered for the reduction of motorcycle casualties and for the achievement of a safer road environment.
Trevor Baird Director Of Public Affairs (MAG UK)
public-affairs@mag-uk.org
[1] www.ihie.org.uk
[2] http://www.killspills.org.uk
[3] http://www.fema.ridersrights.org/crashbarrier2005/index.html
The full document can be seen Here
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