The Department for Transport has published the Compendium of Motorcycling Statistics 2007 edition. The compendium brings together information from a range of sources to provide a comprehensive picture of motorcycling in Great Britain.
This is the third edition of the Compendium and includes the latest data currently available for 2006.
The publication covers all types of two-wheeled motor vehicle transport, including motorcycles, scooters and mopeds. Statistics are presented in four chapters:
1: Motorcyclists – statistics on motorcycle ownership and training;
2: Motorcycles – information about the vehicles and their characteristics;
3: Journeys made – their number, purpose and characteristics;
4: Motorcycling safety – statistics on road accidents involving motorcycles, and the associated casualties.
The Compendium is available as an electronic document on the Department’s website, and may be viewed at the following address. http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/vehicles/motorcycling/
Key findings show that fewer than 3% of households in Great Britian owned a motorcycle, and the number of people taking a motorcycle test has fallen to its lowest level since 2001/2.
The test pass rate has been falling gradually since the mid-nineties and now stands at 65%.
Motorcycle traffic has increased by over a third from 1996 to 2006.
The average speed of motorcycles is similar to that of cars on most types of road, but is 5mph faster on single carriageway roads – however motorcycle speeding is most common on motorways and dual carriageways.
Motorcyclists are a much greater risk of death of seriuos injury than other roads users – the relative risk of a motorcycle rider being killed or seriuosly injured per kilometre travelled in 2006 was 51 times higher than for car drivers.
The casualty rate for motorcyclists killed or seriously injured was 27% lower in 2006 than in 1994, however, the number of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured in 2006 was 3% higher than the average for the baseline figure for 1994-1998. The biggest increases took place amongst those aged 16 or between 40 and 69. Just over half of motorcyclist casualties occurred on A-roads. Most occurred at weekends, between the hours of midday and 6pm, and mainly in the summer months of May to September.