Campaigns
Campaigns
MAG campaigns are dynamic, developing to meet the needs of MAG members and the larger riding community. They address issues and threats to motorcycling that may arise from any angle. These may be restrictive pieces of legislation limiting home maintenance, bike modification or enforcing clothing standards, or they may be misinterpretations of EU licensing directives that ultimately restrict the numbers of new riders entering the congestion busting world of powered two wheelers.
MAG campaigns also aim to be proactive, often working in conjunction with other organisations to reduce road casualties and promote motorcycling as the green option for personal powered mobility.
MAG campaigns to improve education not legislation regarding road safety and to ensure that the right for the rider to choose, remains paramount.
The prominence of some campaigns is dependant on the life cycle of the legislative threat they may be shadowing. Issues like power limits for bikes, come and go. Although MAG, with the help of other European riders rights groups defeated this particular issue in the 1990’s, it did not go away. France adopted the legislation on the grounds of unproven road safety suggestion and has seen no reduction in road casualties as a result. How would they? The majority of accidents still occur in urban areas where power limits aren’t a factor.
Please view our position statements to see where we stand on new issues and long running ones, or get involved with Riders Are Voters, our newest all encompassing campaign in the run up to the next General Election.
Riders Are Voters (RAV) is supported by the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) and the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) and is a cohesive voice for the demands of all riders to ensure that all the candidates for the new House of Commons, whoever they may be, know that riders and the industry are working together and that we all have a vote.
Even though MAG campaigns at Local, National and European level, we encourage everyone to get involved. You know what matters in your area, so please share your knowledge with us, but if you want to keep up the pressure on the national and international issues, campaigning starts here. Arm yourself with the knowledge from our information sheets, contact us direct or visit a local group meeting in your part of the country.
From time to time we need members to act quickly with very little notice and are reliant on our ‘E-Mail Army’ to answer the call. This may be to answer petitions, contact MPs or councillors or attend demonstrations. If you think you could join the team, please click here.
No To Throttle Control
The House of Commons' Transport Select Committee recommended in a report "that the Government commission a companion piece of research on the viability of introducing speed limiters on motorcycles."
This was back in March 2007, but events move on and now the July 2010 release of the European Road Safety Action Programme (RSAP) and the EU SafeRider project seem to be promoting the ideas throughout Europe.
No To Throttle Control
MAG reinvigorating its 2001 campaign to oppose the compulsory fitment to privately owned vehicles of any device designed to arbitrarily remove control from the driver to remote operation.
MAG President Ian Mutch is emphatic about the issue. "Let's keep this one simple, we don't want it, not today not tomorrow not ever."
Withdrawing control from the rider is fundamentally what MAG was set up to oppose. Motorcycling is about fun and freedom and control, your hand on your throttle, your decision. If people abuse that control and fall foul of the law then that is a different issue but when technology is deployed to directly control motorcycles then a big line is crossed and MAG knows exactly which side of that line it stands on.
This is ultimately a philosophical issue, it's not just about safety, it's about what sort of society we want to live in.
MAG says, "We don't want to live in a society with the level of control which ISA can make possible and we intend to get more votes for our point of view than the safety zealots get for theirs.
MAG's then Director of Public Affairs Trevor Baird rode a prototype motorcycle fitted with ISA technology which was developed by the University of Leeds, the Department for Transport and MIRA (Motor Industry Research Association).
