The British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) attended the 2026 TyreSafe Annual Briefing and Awards, held on 10 June at the Belfry Hotel & Resort in North Warwickshire.

This year’s event marked the 20th anniversary of TyreSafe, celebrating two decades of work as one of the UK’s leading road safety organisations. Since its formation in 2006, TyreSafe has grown into a nationally and increasingly internationally recognised road safety charity, supported by more than 250 organisations from across industry, government and the wider road safety sector.

At the heart of TyreSafe’s work is a simple but vital message: regular tyre checks save lives. Through its well-known ACT campaign, motorists and riders are encouraged to routinely check their tyres for Air Pressure, Condition and Tread.
For motorcyclists, tyre safety is particularly important. Unlike other vehicles, a motorcycle relies on just two small contact patches between machine and road. Tyres are therefore one of the most critical safety components on any motorcycle, directly influencing stability, braking, handling and overall rider safety.

Max Holliday and Paul Morgan CBE		Craig Carey-Clinch (NMC), Max and Paul

Why Motorcycle Tyres Matter

Maintaining tyres in good condition is essential for several reasons:

● Maximum Traction and Grip – Tyres provide the friction needed to keep a motorcycle firmly connected to the road surface. Worn or degraded tyres significantly reduce grip and increase the risk of losing control.

● Effective Braking Performance – The braking force generated by a motorcycle can only be transferred to the road through the tyres. Correctly inflated tyres with adequate tread help riders stop safely and efficiently, while worn tyres can substantially increase stopping distances.

● Wet Weather Safety – Tread grooves are designed to disperse water from beneath the tyre, helping to prevent aquaplaning and maintain contact with the road surface in wet conditions.

● Stable Handling and Steering – Correct tyre pressures and even wear patterns provide predictable steering and smooth cornering. Under-inflated or unevenly worn tyres can adversely affect handling and rider confidence.

● Shock Absorption and Stability – Tyres play a key role in absorbing bumps, surface irregularities and road debris, helping to maintain stability and control.

Tom Carver of Micheldever Group	John McNeill, Assistant Head of Investigations and Inquest Coordination	Janis James MBE Founder & CEO – Good Egg Safety – Ready Rider

Improved Road Safety Requires Strong Partnerships

The theme of this year’s TyreSafe conference was “Partnerships”, recognising the importance of collaboration between government, industry, road safety organisations and road users in tackling the complex challenge of reducing casualties.

Central to these discussions was the internationally recognised “Safe System” approach, which views road safety as a shared responsibility across the entire transport network rather than solely the responsibility of individual road users.

The conference comes at a critical time for motorcycling. Provisional government figures for 2025 show that motorcyclist fatalities increased by 13% compared with 2024, which itself saw an 8% increase on 2023. Meanwhile, the number of motorcyclists seriously injured on UK roads remains stubbornly high at just under 6,000 each year, with little improvement over the past five years.

	Jamie Hassall, Executive Director – Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS)	Rob Gilligan of Agilysis with Max and Paul

Tyre Safety In Numbers

Delegates heard a number of concerning statistics highlighting the continuing impact of defective and poorly maintained tyres:

● 172 people were killed or seriously injured in 2024 where defective tyres were identified as a contributory factor.
● 2.1 million MOT failures were linked to tyre defects.
● 36% of vehicles had previous tyre-related MOT advisories that were not acted upon.
● One in five motorway breakdowns are tyre related.
● 20% of tyres have tread below the legal minimum depth of 1.6mm when eventually replaced.
● 81% of drivers do not regularly check the condition of their tyres.
● 53% of drivers admit to driving on tyres they know are defective.
● An estimated six million illegal tyres are currently in use on UK roads.

The conference also reflected on the wider challenge facing road safety in Britain. Since the UK’s first recorded road traffic fatality in 1896, more than 575,000 people have lost their lives on the nation’s roads.

Helen Roe of Bridgestone UK	Simon Hiorns, Tyresafe Trustee

BMF Calls for Stronger Action

Paul Morgan CBE, the BMF’s Government Relations Executive, who attended the conference alongside BMF Media & Community Liaison officer, Maxine Holliday, said:

“UK road safety is at a pivotal point, with casualty figures continuing to move in the wrong direction.

“The latest government figures show that motorcyclists now account for around 25% of all road user fatalities, despite representing only around 1% of road traffic. This is completely unacceptable.

“The Government has proposed a number of measures within its new Road Safety Strategy, the first in over a decade, including an ambitious target to reduce those killed and seriously injured on our roads by 65% by 2035. While these ambitions are welcome, the current proposals do not yet go far enough.

“Safer outcomes will only be achieved by strengthening every element of the “Safe System” approach, not just parts of it. Better road infrastructure, improved rider training, safer vehicles, effective enforcement and stronger public awareness all have a role to play.

“The partnership approach championed by TyreSafe at this year’s conference is exactly what is needed. By bringing together government, industry and road safety organisations, we can deliver the meaningful improvements that all road users want to see.

“The BMF will continue to press for motorcycling to have a prominent voice on the Government’s new Road Safety Board and to ensure that the measures needed to improve rider safety are fully recognised and implemented.”

Written by Helen Hancock

Top image courtesy of TyreSafe

In article images courtesy of Max and Paul