Reform UK Driving Licence Laws to Separate Car and Motorcycl

[ThoracianMonk]

Hey UK bikers, can I ask you to add your signature to this petition. The goal is to draw attention and ask that the UK government issue separate rider records for bikers to their car driver record ✍

Currently, UK driving licences treat a bikers' riding record as one and the same as their car driving record despite requiring them to jump through hoops to acquire additional training and costly examinations to get on the road.

Your vote is symbolic and sharing it is an act above and beyond to help us get some traction to a cause that may draw attention to the need for the UK government to protect biker entitlement to be judged on its own merit rather than using an individual's car driving record to judge them as a biker.

https://c.org/XhtspsL8xx

[stinkwheel]

I can't see how that would fly to be honest. Would you apply a similar thing to say, an HGV driver? Or to someone towing a big trailer? Or to someone with a PSV licence?

Reads to me that you're effectively saying if you get a totting-up ban for speeding in your car, you should still be allowed to ride your bike or vice-versa?

You do know that if you get a driving ban where you have to sit a re-test, when the disqualification period is up, you just have to pass a test in one of the categories you previously held to get all of them back? So if you have a bike and a car licence and get a ban, you'd only have to pass one test again (car or on a bike) to get both categories back.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[MarJay]

There is no argument in the 'for' camp that will sway anyone in government. Saying that you can be banned in a car but not a bike for example, surely that just encourages things like drink driving?

I had a Greek neighbour many many years ago and he said that's what the system is (or at least used to be) like in Greece. What you end up with is a load of alky wasters who got banned from driving a car riding around on bikes and spannering themselves.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

The idea seems to be that you’d be able to hoon around on your bike, get stopped and banned, but still be allowed to drive your ‘proper transport’ because the bike was just for leisure. Thus a ban won’t be such a catastrophic punishment. They’ll never go for that, and characterising motorcycles as toys might not be generally helpful.

[stinkwheel]

I think in general, not drawing the governments attention to motorcycles is a good thing. Govenments never make LESS regulation only more and in general, the numbers for motorcycles (accidents per mile, KSI per mile, driving offences per mile, thefts etc.) don't make good reading. Draw too much attention and they'll make life even harder.

Best bet is to keep pur collective heads down and keep as far under the radar as possible.

For an example, say their attention was unavoidably drawn to the staistic that 2,019 motorcyclists are KSI per billion miles compared to 43 car occupants. They decide they have to do something about it.

Now politics is based on what will play well with the largest majority because government is a popularity contest. So anychange in legislation is going to make things harder for one of these groups. Do they make life harder for the car drivers or the motorcyclists? Given there are something like 20 times as many people who hold a car licence compared to a motorcycle licence.

I'm actually fairly surprised we're still allowed to ride them at all.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Freddyfruitba...]

I personally wouldn't support it, for the reasons stated above. I see the petition has so far received... ... one signature (OP presumably?) so I won't be holding my breath on this one.
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KC100->CB100N->CB250RS--------->DL650AL2->R1200RS->R1250RS

[Evil Hans]

As above, this is a stupid idea.

Can you expand on why you think this is necessary? I feel I might be missing something.

Looks like it's currently getting the support it deserves:

[stinkwheel]

I'd imagine he got banned for riding his bike like an idiot and can't drive his car to work. Now, instead of manning up and taking responsability for the consequences of his actions, he wants to change the law.

I wont say i don't ride my bike like an idiot but I'm always aware of the potential repercussions of it (although the last 6 points I've had over the years were for marginally exceeding a 40 limit that's really a natural NSL in my works van rather than hooining round the highlands flat-out on my VFR).
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[MarJay]

I actually think my record as a motorcyclist reflects well on me as a car driver. I am a better car driver because I am a motorcyclist. I wouldn't want to split that record. The ONLY reason I can think to do this would be for people who are banned to still be able to drive some other transport. I could feasibly see HGV drivers going for it perhaps, although those guys are actually eminently sensible when it comes to the roads and safety, by and large, so I doubt you'd get their buy in either.

I think the KSI statistics for motorcyclists is probably more reflective of the quality of passive safety features in cars these days, and the general laws of physics which govern 4 wheeled vs 2 wheeled vehicles rather than necessarily a reflection of skill, although there are a lot of motorcyclists who just ride a few times a year and I can imagine that makes one a bit rusty. I suppose what I'm saying is a bad driver in a car might well be a bad motorcycle rider, and vice versa. Although I do maintain that riding a motorcycle does act as an education, in a shock to the system kind of way. If you don't take that lesson, then you'll be a bad car driver too which certainly argues in the favour of having a single license with categories rather than separating licenses.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[thx1138]

I must be in a tiny minority, but i just can’t get on with cars, feel weird in then, hate driving them, don’t feel safe driving them - but motorcycles no bother. I know that statistically i am way safer behind the wheel, but it feels so off i don’t drive at all ever now. Though i drove right across the south of nz once ?

[MarJay]

[stinkwheel]

I have to drive for work and usually if I'm going somewhere else, I ride a bike. Unless I'm going canoeing, not quite got that one worked out yet.

Although happily, my work vehicle is a van big enough to fit a motorbike in, so I will admit to "trailer queeing" my big bullet up to the end of the motorway if I'm going a long way away. While it will maintain motorway speeds, it does neither me or the bike a lot of good.

Driving cars/vans is generally boring but convenient at times. I couldn't say I like driving them on the whole (although Mrs stinkwheels old Kei car had its moments). I'll happily set the cruise control the whole way (some might say you're supposed to slow down occasionally for obstacles, corners and stuff, but where's the fun in that? If you touch a pedal, you loose.). I'm physically incapable of doing that on the VFR.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.