MPs have urged the government to carry out a study into the possibility of fitting speed limiters to motorbikes.
The House of Commons Transport Committee said accident rates are far too high and radical action is needed. The report on government motorcycling strategy also said motorbikes were too polluting and that illegal use of mini motos was a problem. The committee called on ministers to support the development of cleaner motorbikes to reduce pollution.
The report said: "We recommend that the government commission...research on the viability of introducing speed limiters on motorcycles in order to stimulate a sensible debate of the options."
The report noted that there was a massive increase in numbers of Motorcycles for Use on Private Property (MUPP). The market was about 7,000 new bikes a year of this type in 2001, but an estimated 170,000 were imported to the UK in 2005. There have been at least seven deaths involving mini motos since mid-2004, five of which were children under the age of 15.
