Safety laws

Safe riding is not just about following the rules of the road. How you behave as a rider is huge factor, so here is an overview of the key laws that you should know about.

Alcohol and drink-riding

Drinking alcohol before riding can seriously affect your ability to ride and make you more likely to have an accident. Check the legal limits for drinking alcohol before riding (GOV.UK) and the penalties for drink-driving. It’s best not to drink any alcohol before you ride.

Speed limits

Speed limits show the maximum speed at which you can legally ride, although traffic or weather conditions may mean that you’ll need to ride slower. Riding too fast increases the chances of you having an accident and increases the severity of the accident. Find out the national speed limits (GOV.UK) and the penalties if you’re caught riding over the speed limit (GOV.UK).

Drugs and medicines

Drugs and medicines can affect your ability to ride safely. You must not take illegal drugs before you ride. If you’re taking a medicine, check the information leaflet to find out whether it’s likely to make you sleepy.

There’s information on GOV.UK about when you need to tell DVLA about drugs you’ve taken and the law on driving after you’ve taken drugs (GOV.UK).

Mobile phones

Using a mobile phone or a similar device while you’re riding is very dangerous because you’ll be distracted from the road and will not be able to control your motorbike properly. You must never use a hand-held mobile phone or a similar device while you’re riding. See the law on using a phone while you’re riding (GOV.UK) and the penalties if you’re caught doing this.

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