A consultation has been launched by the UK government about new proposals aimed at improving motorcycle safety.

The plans include upgrading motorcycle compulsory basic training (CBT) to improve the skills of people learning to ride a motorbike, changing the structure and content of CBT courses, as well as the qualification process and standard checks for motorcycle instructors.

CBT has remained largely unchanged since it was introduced in 1990. Motorcyclists must undertake CBT in order to be able to ride a motorbike on the road with L plates with an engine size of up to 125cc until they pass their full motorcycle test.

According to road safety campaign, Think! motorcyclists make up just 1% of all road traffic, yet they account for 19% of road deaths. During 2013, 331 motorcyclists were killed on UK roads.

David Robinson, a serious injury solicitor specialising in road traffic accident claims at Thompsons Solicitors, said: “The rate of motorcyclist deaths on UK roads is unacceptable and anything that can be done to reduce that toll is welcome. One step along that road is with proposals like these for improving motorcycle training which has remained unchanged for a quarter of a century but that is only one step and there is much more that can and should be done.

“However well-trained a motorcyclist may be it won’t eradicate common causes of accidents such as dangerous junctions and other vehicles pulling out into their path. That requires education of all road users and investment in improved road infrastructure.

"If this consultation paves the way for further funding to be invested in ensuring that all measures which could be introduced to improve the safety of motorcyclists are implemented, then we should start to see a real reduction in the unacceptable deaths and injuries to the some 1.2 million motorcyclists in the UK.”

Click here to visit Thompsons Solicitors’ dedicated Facebook page on tips to avoid a motorcycle accident.