Top Speed Of Bikes To Be Limited To 65MPH
In a House of Commons Transport Committee meeting today, a group of MP's proposed a limit on all superbikes including R1's, Fireblades and GSXR's to be capped to 65mph. Their view is that bike accident rates are too high and by enforcing this limit the number of accidents will radically drop.Transport author Stephen Plowden said he could not see why anyone on a bike needs to travel over 65 mph given that in 2005, 569 riders were killed and a further 6,000 were seriously injured.
Our figures at The Bike Insurer suggest that over 70% of bike accidents are non-fault and so our view is that more should be done to punish the people responsible for killing bikers. Its not enough to see a driver get a suspended sentence which is nothing more than a wrist slap. If people knew that if they caused a crash in which another road user was killed or seriously injured then they would go to jail, we believe the figures would come down.
Whats your view - tell us now, we want to hear from you.
Andy Shaw - www.thebikeinsurer.co.uk
chris wilson said,
March 30, 2007 at 5:28 pm
now this is an absolutely rediculous idea. it’s another goverment sceme to interfere in every part of our lives. why on earth should us bikers suffer because car drivers don’t look out for us as they shoud? l would love those mp’s to be on the back of a bike at 65mph when a truck blasts past at 70+ or a car driver that dosn’t see you and runs up the back of the bike at over 80mph which is the average on a motorway, if any one disagrees with that then get your eyes tested. the police have said that they usualyignore drivers that drive at 80mph as it is the norm. i wonder if the mp’s would let us put limiters on there slk’s, bmw’s, lexus’, jags etc, i don’t think so. if i had one put on my new bike i would take it off and shove it so far…..
mark martin said,
March 30, 2007 at 9:39 pm
who said this is not a nanny state ? this is the worst idea they have come up with yet sitting in there office trying to justify there wage i drive lorries with limiters set at 56mph sounds safe ! well it is not if i have to overtake i need 2 mile of straight road and if the car being overtaken accelerates im f***** and the constant low speed can send you to sleep very easily i wish everybody would stop telling us what to do and how to live our life, how many people died just crossing the road last year ? are they going to limit how many times we can cross the street ! i think not and if these bikes were limited (not going to happen we need to fight this ) who would buy one ? nobody it takes away the one thing bikes stand for FREEDOM if nobody buys them how many people will lose there business or jobs ?thousands thats how many so brilliant idea why dont you go and do wot your best at yes NOTHING AND LEAVE OUR LIVES ALONE AND GET A LIFE YOURSELF.
Sheldon said,
April 1, 2007 at 10:10 am
Can any body tell me the parentage of deaths that actually happened when a bike was traveling over 70 mph (on any road) as this is the only figure that would be affected by the restriction – and this figure would be superseded by the number of speeding motorists not seeing a bike on the motorway (we have all been upset by mopeds on duel carriageways) and also the frustration of the newted biker taking it out in areas of lower speed limits and on the twistys
Rob Davies said,
April 1, 2007 at 2:50 pm
What a load of cobblers. I am a biker, car and a HGV 1 Driver and I find the worst drivers on the road are the car/van drivers who have no common sense or appreciation of the capabilities of others vehicles on the road, or any idea of the speed that truck drivers are legally allowed to travel. Whats going to happen if bikes are limited to 65 MPH?
Well as a Truck driver I can tell you, you will have idiots getting impatient because you are riding slower than they wish you to travel, and will overtake you in the most stupid places only to cut you up again to turn or slow down for a roundabout or other road user. Having had a trial, after gaining points for exceeding the speed limit for trucks, I have tried to stick to the speed limits for driving HGV’s, car & bike, I found that it was a dangerous occupation, as impatient drivers, all types of vehicles, had no consideration whatsoever for my speed and would do their utmost to get past at any cost. As a biker riding within the speed limit, especially in a 30MPH zone I have had vehicles so close to my back that I was considering uping my insurance to carry a pillion.. So Mr MP back off and have a good think about what you are trying to achieve with your stupid ideas. If anything you should be considering raising the speed limit, especially on some motorways. Contrary to fact truckers are more courteous to bikers thany our average car/van driver.
R Whittingham said,
April 1, 2007 at 4:55 pm
How appropriate today is 1st April !!! and another crackpot idea from a crackpot government As a Hayabusa owner for 7 years (with a clean licence) can I expect boy racers in their clapped out 1000cc corsas, probably with no tax MOT or insurance overtaking me while they are on their mobile? Do the right thing at the next election GET THIS PATHETIC GOVERNMENT OUT.
john said,
April 1, 2007 at 9:13 pm
I wonder if everyone that moans and winges would rally up together and ride on downing street and tell all the MP’s that we have had enough. Look at the facts; the lorry blockage, the fuel blockage, the french ports blocked and even the Gay community now march the strrets of london. And they get there way, well some times.
I think tat there is enough of us that ride to create quite an impact in London. They make it harder and harder to get the license in the first place and there is another new test coming in soon. I wonder how many of them ride themselves.
In France the death rate is lower as the kids learn to ride first on mopeds. They have a sense of what is around them when they get in a car, unlike the spooty little shite in his souped up fiesta who’s mum and dad have paid for him to race around in without a care in the world.
I for one would ride, who’s with me?????????????
I know that some years ago, the Motor Cycle Action Group did something similar. Come on people, even if we dont get no where, we can have a blag round London, Might even get up to 65 on the Motorway lol
Martin Dawson said,
July 3, 2007 at 3:43 pm
I have just bought a zx10r from new a few months ago and am in love with my new machine under no circumstances would have I bought it if it was restricted to 65mph what a waste of time! What I dont understand is if they cant tax speeding bikers/cars, the revenue tax from the fag ban and now fuel efficcent zx10r’s!! . Where is the tax going to come from we will all be paying 40% tax regardless!!, Many thanks Prime Minister!!!!!
nicole said,
January 14, 2010 at 3:41 pm
i agree more should be done