…..It’s Time the System Did the Same.

The recent National Young Rider Forum meeting confirmed something that should reshape how we talk about 16–24 year old motorcyclists in the UK.

Young riders are not ignoring safety.

The evidence shows many are wearing appropriate protective equipment and using their motorcycles primarily for commuting, employment and education. For this generation, a motorcycle is not just leisure. It is mobility, income and independence.

Yet the risk environment they face remains disproportionately high.

When Risk Peaks

Data from the Young Riders Matter report highlights clear patterns:

• Increased collisions on Fridays
• A concentration between 3pm and 6pm during peak commuting
• The highest KSI rates in September, as schools return and traffic density rises

These are not late-night thrill-seeking hours. They are rush-hour commuting windows.

This matters because it shifts the conversation. Risk is not solely about rider behaviour. It is about exposure within a congested road system where young riders are among the most vulnerable.

Road Conditions Cannot Be Ignored

Young riders also reported concerns about UK road surface conditions.

For smaller capacity motorcycles, uneven repairs, potholes and surface defects represent genuine stability hazards. Vulnerable road users feel these risks more acutely than larger vehicles.

Improving maintenance standards is not a motorcycling issue. It is a public safety issue.

A Fairer Conversation

This is not about blaming car or van drivers.

It is about recognising that when traffic increases, when distraction rises and when road infrastructure deteriorates, vulnerable road users carry greater risk.

Young riders are already taking responsibility for their own safety.

Now policy and infrastructure must keep pace.

What BMF Will Push For

Using this evidence, BMF will advocate for:

• Targeted September awareness campaigns including explicit motorcycle messaging
• Driver awareness initiatives during peak Friday commuting periods
• Strengthened post-CBT development pathways
• Clear, affordable guidance on quality protective equipment
• Improved road maintenance standards that consider vulnerable users

Evidence gives us leverage.

But leverage only works when the motorcycling community stands together.

Young riders are not separate from us. They are the future of UK motorcycling.

If we want that future to be strong, safe and sustainable, we must act collectively.

Written by MJ

Top image courtesy of NYRF