June 3, 2026
The latest road safety statistics from the Government has revealed a worrying increase in killed and seriously injured motorcyclists in 2025. ‘Reported road casualties in Great Britain, provisional estimates: 2025’ offers a snapshot of a range of road safety statistics, which will be followed by a comprehensive report, Road Casualties Great Britain, in September. They reveal that while the good news is that overall motorcycle casualties fell by 3.25% in 2025, fatalities increased by 13% and serious injuries by just over 4%.
However, these are provisional figures and further analysis will need to be made after a range of contributory factors are considered once the main casualty report is published. These include factors, such as the where the involvement of other road users has played a part. Although the Government is right to stress that it is too early to establish whether trends are coming into play with the statistics for all road user groups, one longer term trend has become clearer. Since the current licensing regime was introduced in 2013, motorcycle fatalities have risen by just over 16%. During the period of the previous regime, they fell by nearly 36%. Of course, other factors in safety are also ‘in play’, but the statistics do suggest that the current licensing regime is implicated in how safety has evolved since 2013.
Another factor that is implied is the continuing absence of support for motorcycling in both national and local policies. Safety is often cited as a reason not to include motorcycling within national and local strategies, but this approach merely sustains a more vulnerable situation for motorcyclists than should be the case. Specific investment in motorcycle safety or vulnerability related measures at national level specifically is largely absent. Although the Integrated National Transport Strategy does briefly recognise the role of motorcycling and the Government’s Road Safety Strategy does make some positive proposals, it is notable that new statutory guidance to local authorities for Local Transport Plans does not mention motorcycling at all in the context of local transport and access policies. All this taken together means there is little impetus or priority to invest in measures to assist motorcycle journeys and make riders less vulnerable. The safety ‘problem’ remains.
NMC Executive Director Craig Carey-Clinch said: “These new statistics underline the importance of the current review into motorcycle training and testing having the correct scope and to look fully at what needs to be done to evolve the current regime, rather than just making a few piecemeal changes, as much needed as these are. The stats also underline that the current approach of merely treating motorcycling as a ‘safety problem’ rather than considering the range of measures needed to support those who make motorcycle journeys, simply does not work. It has meant that efforts to create a proper ‘Safe System’ for motorcycling, with measures at all policy levels to support this, far more difficult.
“The NMC strongly urges both central government and local authorities to think again about the current approach they have towards motorcycling and to work with motorcycling organisations and other expert stakeholders to develop national and local strategies to fully support safety and access for those who ride. This will unlock the social and mobility benefits that motorcycling, as a zero congesting and low polluting transport mode, brings to individuals and wider society. The NMC and its members fully commit to supporting this work.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact Craig Carey-Clinch on 07979 757484 | craig@uknmc.org
The latest road safety stats can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-provisional-results-2025/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-provisional-estimates-2025
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(Pic: Pexels - Valentin Sarte)
