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Roads: Motorcycles

Asked by James McMurdockIndependentDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 17 April 2026UIN 126036

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the contribution of motorcycles to road wear compared with cars.

Answered by Simon Lightwood

The Department has not made a specific assessment of the contribution of motorcycles to road wear compared with cars.

Guidance for local authorities already highlights the need for maintenance plans to account for changes in circumstances. The main guidance for local highway authorities on asset management is the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways Infrastructure, published by the UK Roads Leadership Group and funded by the Department for Transport. The guidance sets out a national framework for how local highway authorities should manage their networks using a risk-based, evidence-led approach, taking account of current and expected highways usage. The Department is currently reviewing the Code of Practice, including to ensure it considers the implications of different vehicle types, their increasing weights, and traffic composition on road maintenance. An updated version will be published by the end of this year.

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