Press — motorcycle safety

If you listen to the headlines, you would think the UK’s pothole crisis is finally being taken seriously. Billions are being pledged. Long-term strategies are being rolled out.

You’ve seen the videos. Two men in hoodies. An angle grinder screaming against hardened steel. Sparks flying across a city pavement like fireworks at a celebration no one asked for. Pedestrians drift past with takeaway coffees. A bus rolls by. Someone films from ten metres away. No one steps in.

There was a time when blatant theft in broad daylight caused a scene. Voices would rise. People would gather. Someone would intervene. The shock alone would stop a criminal mid-act.

For decades, motorcycling in the UK has been framed as a passion rather than a solution. Something riders do for fun, freedom, or weekend escape — not a practical answer to congestion, emissions, or rising transport costs.

Spend any time around UK bike schools, forums, or Sunday-morning café stops and you’ll hear the line trotted out with absolute confidence: “Only one in five riders ever go beyond a CBT.” It sounds alarming. It sounds like failure. And it sounds like something is fundamentally broken in the UK licensing system.