Road designers should pay more attention to motorcyclists: LTP

12.00 | 9 June 2017 | | 10 comments

A leading independent transport consultancy is calling for a greater focus on motorcycling when roads are being planned and designed. (Transport Network)

Local Transport Projects (LTP) – which provides transport planning, traffic engineering and highway design services – made the call having authored the Urban Motorcycle Design Handbook on behalf of TfL.

The TfL guide has been produced to help highways practitioners address highway infrastructure issues affecting motorcyclists in the capital. TfL is using the handbook to incorporate features into existing and future projects, and is promoting it to traffic authorities and designers in other parts of the UK.

Andy Mayo, LTP director, said there is potential for motorcycling to ‘increase substantially’, while at the same time expressing concern over figures which show that motorcycles account for 21% of road fatalities in the UK, despite only accounting for around 1% of all traffic.

Mr Mayo told Transport Network: “This really needs to change. To put this into context, in 2015 there were 387 cyclists killed or seriously injured on London’s roads, for a mode share of 2%, compared with 540 motorcyclists and a 1% mode share.”

Click here to read the full Transport Network story. 


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Want to know more about motorcycling and road safety?
Online library of research and reports etc – visit the Road Safety Knowledge Centre
Key facts and summaries of research reports – visit the Road Safety Observatory

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    Hugh. The recommendations for good procedures and practise laid down and accepted for the resurfacing of a highway is not being complied with and that is to the detriment of the population that the authorities serve and to whom they have a responsibility to keep safe and you say that the local authorities cannot be held in any way to blame. Is that what you are saying?

    What drivers do is a separate issue and if the contractors had been made to do their job properly the problem would not exist.


    Bob Craven Lancs
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    Still down to the user of the highways though Bob, as you say. If wheeled road users (two or four) do not heed the advisory speed limits after surface dressing, or any of the many advanced warning signs, it’s hardly the HAs’ fault.


    Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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    Bob, I agree. Fortunately there are a few bikers in various Highways Local Authorities that inform our 4 wheel driving colleagues. But it is an uphill struggle to change established mindsets. e.g. the incredibly slow take-up of skid resistant inspection covers on the road on bends and junctions etc


    Pat, Wales
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    No Hugh, I am not asking for specific highways for motorcyclists but it’s a good idea. If cycles can have them why not motorcycles? All I am asking for is that in highway management that motorcycles as with cycles are considered. An example would be with temporary re surfacing where tarmac is sprayed and chippings thrown on top. It is or was recommended that this material is then well bedded down by a roller and then any loose chippings are removed so as to reduce the danger and possibility of vehicles skidding. That in many circumstance is no longer done, perhaps in order to reduce costings and that means that loose chippings remain for several weeks and are only bedded in by traffic moving over it. Whilst there will be 20mph signs very few drivers apply those speeds and many travel faster. This method is quite honestly cheap and nasty and doesn’t last long. It is a particularly dangerous to any two wheeled vehicle.

    All I am asking for is to be considered. It’s my life that engineers are messing with. Is that to much to ask? A little consideration.


    Bob Craven Lancs
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    This is a useful document as a starting point – especially the discussion around ‘light’ segregation in cycling schemes: An issue that is often raised by the motorcycling lobby.

    The acknowledgement of single vehicle collisions being the no.1 rank really needs more research. Yes skid resistance and roadside objects are important, but in a built up environment is inappropriate speed also an issue, or it more so for rural collisions?

    Wouldn’t it be great if those at the polarised end of the debate were able to be more constructive in their debates?


    Nadeem up North
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    You’re not seriously expecting that there should be ‘safe roads made specifically for motorcyclists’ surely Bob?

    If the situation is that bad for motorcyclists, why are there bikes still being manufactured to be capable of such high rates of acceleration and top speed, with no protection for the rider and why are they sometimes ridden in an unsafe and risky manner on these supposedly unsafe highways? The latter is not the Highway Authorities’ fault, I’m sure you’ll agree.


    Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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    First of all Hugh there are no safe roads made specifically for motorcyclists. We have to suffer the worst roads that have been seen in decades indeed generations. Pat, those painted stripes that are dangerously slippy when wet are also sometimes far too high and whilst a car can absorb their impact on their suspension and take them at speed and suffer no ill effect a motorcyclists can break his teeth as he is clenching them. Further do they not know that every time a motorcycle wheel hits such a bump that compresses the suspension leg that on the return the wheel and tyre will in fact lose contact with the roads surface. Something a car doesn’t do. So more dangerous than educated sources imagine. I am sure that the Institute of Highway Engineers will support that fact.


    Bob Craven Lancs
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    I would have thought that the highways are already more motorcycle friendly than other modes of transport, bearing in mind their small footprint on the highways, their manoeuvreability (never could spell that word properly) and ability to zip past and in and out of, slower moving traffic – what more do they need?


    Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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    The sooner the local and trunk road highways authorities stop painting count down stripes across the road on the approach to roundabouts etc the better. What bikers like braking or leaning over on paint, especially in the wet?


    Pat, Wales
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    Andy Mayo, LTP director, said there is potential for motorcycling to ‘increase substantially’.

    Perhaps Andy Mayo is unware of the recent crime wave that has plagued PTW’s in London over the last 18 months. PTW vehicles are being stolen in broad daylight in front of the public & hijackings and theft of bikes while being ridden occurring daily. This is having a huge impact on the ability of some to find insurance for either owning or riding PTWs in London.

    Before there is a substantial increase in PTW use in London this crime wave needs to be recognised by such people and addressed.


    Keith
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