Motorcycling has been backed into a corner by the ignorance of Europe, say biking enthusiasts who joined have joined South East MEP Nirj Deva’s call to drop plans for "draconian" new licensing legislation.

Labelling the EU Third Driving Licence Directive as "pointless and over-prescriptive", Nirj Deva called for a complete rejection of the proposals that give the green light to burdening UK motorists and bike riders with further bureaucracy and red-tape.

The EU legislation, on which Governments will have their say in the final vote later this year, introduces new tests to bike riders advancing to more powerful motorbikes, wiping out the current UK system, which is based on experience.

The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) last month handed a 2,500-strong petition to the Conservatives in the European Parliament.

Nirj Deva MEP said: "This pointless and bureaucratic legislation will cause real problems for motorcycle enthusiasts in South East England.

"The UK has a tried and tested system which has resulted in the safest roads in the EU. The Directive is bureaucratic, unnecessary and over-prescriptive."

Public affairs director of MAG Trevor Baird said motorcycle aspects of the Directive should have been withdrawn at an early stage, enabling riders' concerns to be addressed.

"What new and young riders require is a structured, relevant and cost-effective basic training to give the novice rider the essential skills and knowledge to be capable of safely operating a motorcycle in normal traffic conditions, not a philosophical approach that has no place in the real world.

"Motorcycling has been backed into a corner due to the ignorance of Europe by the mistaken belief that even more rules and regulations will make motorcycling safer.

"This draconian legislation which has been foisted on motorcycling by European Transport Ministers and the European Commission is a litany of compromises and confusion, with the principle of harmonisation that one size fits all and does nothing to address the real issues of motorcycling safety.

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BRIEFING NOTE ON THE DIRECTIVE:

The EU is forcing through a revolution in British driving licenses:

• New tests every ten years
• Compulsory medical tests
• Current HGV licenses must be renewed at 50 years of age
• Burden of proof reversed for drivers with minor ailments

1.    Main Provisions of the Proposals

Licence Renewal

At present your licence is valid from the date you pass your test until the age of 70 unless medical complications occur or a medical professional recommends otherwise (or you lose you licence for criminal offences).

The Third Driving Licence Directive proposals call for:

• the renewal of drivers’ licences for cars every 10 years (possibly earlier if it is your first licence).
• Renewal is dependent on 'circumstances' which may also mean the introduction on a regular medical check up.
• Renewal applications would be costly to the motorist and achieve no benefit in terms of safety. This is case of interference, which would only add red tape.
• All commercial vehicle licences would need to be renewed at the age of 50. Renewal would be on the basis of a medical check and possible re test/refresher course.
• For commercial vehicles of over 3500kg renewal would be every 5 years (3 years for your first licence). Renewal would be on the grounds of a medical check up and in some circumstances re-testing. This again is costly and achieves no benefit in terms of road safety.

In the UK we have a system of either a voluntary notification of medical problems or a recommendation by medical professionals which, along with the 70-year age limit, works perfectly well. The proposed system would be costly to citizens, cause major inconvenience and not achieve the increases in road safety, which the Commission aims to achieve.  

2.    Motorbikes

The biggest areas of contention for the users and the industry have been the ages for access to motorbikes, new tests for higher cc bikes and inconsistency in the types of bike on which tests are taken.

• Currently motorbike riders have access to the most powerful bikes at the age of 21 subject to possession of a full driving license. The proposal will increase that age to 24.

• Test bikes also bear no relation to the bike you will be allowed to ride with the licence you will obtain. The criteria in the proposals are based on cylinder capacity as well as power of bike (At present the test is only power based).
• An additional test will be required for bikers to move from a category A2 licence to a category A. At present in the UK there is a “step up” principle based on riding experience where you gain progressive access to more powerful motorcycles. This is a tried and tested system and there is little need to take an examination to progress. This would be costly and bureaucratic again with little benefit for road safety.

3.    Medical Checks

In the UK system if a driver suffers from a major health problem it is his duty to notify the relevant authority which will decide under advice from medical professionals whether he can continue to drive. This directive reverses the burden of proof on the individual driver.  A driver will now have to prove through draconian and expensive regular medical checks that even minor or treatable health problems will not affect his ability to drive safely. Some of the over regulatory medical problems include: -

• Pacemakers – at present patients fitted with pacemakers who have had no complications for over 6 months can drive normally under medical advice. Under the Commission proposals the driver would have to have regular medical check ups above what is recommended in the UK to prove there are no unforeseen problems. This only adds cost and inconvenience to people who wear pacemakers. The present system in the UK has proven to work very well and is accepted by the medical profession as not jeopardising road safety.
• Complications – the proposals contain a presumption that you may not get a drivers licence if complications could arise from your blood pressure (eg. stroke or vision problems). Drivers will have to have regular medical check ups even if the problem is treatable and under control through medication
• Angina – any form of angina during “rest or emotion” may jeopardise your chances of obtaining a drivers licence
• Diabetes – non-insulin dependant diabetes, which is treatable by diet or tablet, will mean regular medical check ups above what is already required. Insulin dependent diabetics will only get a licence under very exceptional circumstances and will be subject to very regular full medical examinations).

(Conservatives were successful at first reading at having non-insulin dependant diabetes deleted from the text. The Commission has re-introduced this clause)

• Psychotropic drugs – anybody who uses these types of drug will not be allowed any form of drivers licence. The regulation does not take into account the effect of a drug but looks only at quantity. The effect of drugs differs between patients and should be up to the judgement of medical professionals.