Haringey takes the road less travelled by listening to motorcyclists
Haringey is engaging directly with motorcyclists to map risk hotspots and reduce collisions, marking a notable shift from the enforcement-heavy stance riders often face.
Haringey Council has launched a new online platform aimed at reducing motorcycle accidents and injuries on the borough's roads. In a climate where riders often feel like they’re being lumped in with the worst offenders on the roads, it’s a move that makes the north London borough look a little more progressive than many of its peers.
Dubbed 'Safe Rides Safe Roads,' the campaign invites riders who live or work in Haringey to confidentially flag hazard hotspots, highlight recurring safety issues, and even suggest possible solutions. It’s a refreshingly collaborative approach, backed by the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) and the GMB union, and one that leans toward engagement rather than enforcement.
On the whole, councils don’t always have the best reputation in the minds of most bikers. For the most part, we feel overlooked and ignored, and all too often, the narrative is dominated by noise complaints, antisocial behaviour crackdowns, and blanket access restrictions. Haringey, though, appears to be taking a more data-led approach by actually asking riders what life on two wheels is like on its streets.
And the numbers suggest there’s good reason to listen, as around 200 motorcyclists are injured on Haringey’s roads every year, with the majority riding smaller-capacity machines between 50cc and 125cc. Those are the sort of bikes and scooters commonly used by the delivery riders who keep London fed, watered and on the job. In 2024 alone, 181 riders were hurt on roads managed by the council.
Collision data highlights that most of these incidents occur between 5 pm and 8 pm, and unsurprisingly, most involve a car. As someone who regularly commutes through Haringey on the way to the Visordown office, it’s a classic case of the urban danger zone – rush hour traffic, fading light, alongwith tired (and more often than not phone-distracted) drivers.
The platform itself is straightforward, with just a short questionnaire to complete and a pin-drop map to identify problem locations. The website also includes details and background information on the project. Any submissions made via the portal are confidential, which should encourage honest feedback from a group not always convinced their voices are heard.
Speaking about the project, Colin Brown, Director of Campaigns and Political Engagement at the Motorcycle Action Group, said:
“The Motorcycle Action Group is delighted to be working with Haringey Council and GMB on this initiative.
It is vital for the views and experiences of riders in Haringey to be heard so that interventions can match actual rather than presumed problems.
We encourage all riders using Haringey’s roads to make use of this opportunity. This is a rare chance for riders to shape what happens, so don’t miss it!”
The initiative forms part of Haringey’s wider Vision Zero strategy, a long-term plan to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on its roads by 2041.
Whether it becomes a template for other councils remains to be seen, but credit where it’s due: working with riders instead of against them feels like a step most local councils should adopt.
Riders have until Sunday, 15 March to have their say. To find out more information or to make some suggestions, head to the official website.
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In This Article
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
