Have you been surveyed?

A nationwide questionnaire has been arriving through the letterboxes of UK motorcyclists and we want to know if you have received one.

” The UK Motorcycling Population: You and your riding ” has been commissioned by the Department for Transport, but actually carried out by the Institute for Transport Studies at Leeds University. The survey is aimed at aiding research into older bikers, but the Institute is also responsible for research into Intelligent Speed Adaption, which limits artificially limits the speeds of trucks, cars and bikes.

The 14-page form included questions ranging from what type of bike you ride and how you ride it to whether you like loud music and find wars exciting. It has come under fire not only for being intrusive but also for containing loaded questions. One questions asks you to estimate the risk that you will have a fatal accident on your motorcycle this year and gives you options ranging between one in 100 and one in 2500. A note next to the question explains that the risk for a car driver is one in 20,000.

The question asking you to estimate your risk of fatal injury gives odds between one in 70 and one in 220, with car drivers safe on one in 2000.

The British Motorcyclists Federation is concerned about the leading nature of the questions. ” If you fill it in, leave any questions you feel are inappropriate and send a letter explaining your reasons for leaving them, ” suggested spokesman Richard Olliffe.

If you’ve received a copy of the survey, then we’d like to hear from you. Send an email to rich.beach@emap.com with the following information, including Name, Age and Location and Contact telephone numbers:

Have you completed and returned the form, or did you throw it in the bin?

Did you find any questions inappropriate? If so, which section and numbers?

Are you concerned that the aims of the study are not made clear?

Did you answer truthfully, or did you put what you thought would be the answers they wanted to hear?

Send your emails to rich.beach@emap.com with ” Motorcycle Survey ” in the subject line.