Call for licensing review amid rise in motorcyclist fatalities

The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has expressed concern over road casualty figures showing an increase in the number of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads in 2025.

According to the Department for Transport’s provisional report, the total number of motorcycle casualties fell by 3.25% during the year. However, the figures also indicate that motorcyclist fatalities increased by 13%, while serious injuries rose by just over 4%.

The NMC says that while the provisional nature of the figures means caution is required when drawing conclusions, the increase in deaths and serious injuries is nevertheless concerning.

The organisation noted that further analysis will be needed once the full casualty report is published, particularly in relation to contributory factors such as the involvement of other road users in collisions.

While acknowledging the Government’s position that it is too early to determine whether wider trends are emerging across all road user groups, the NMC highlights what it describes as a longer-term pattern in motorcycle safety.

The organisation points to figures suggesting that motorcycle fatalities have risen by just over 16% since the introduction of the current motorcycle licensing regime in 2013. By comparison, the NMC said fatalities fell by nearly 36% during the period covered by the previous licensing framework.

The NMC believes these figures suggest the current licensing system may have played a role in shaping motorcycle safety outcomes over the past decade, although it recognises that a range of other factors have also influenced casualty trends.

Craig Carey-Clinch, NMC executive director, 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.”

Mr Carey-Clinch urges both central government and local authorities to reconsider their approach to motorcycling and to work more closely with motorcycling organisations and other stakeholders to develop national and local strategies.

He added: “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.”