“The Constant is that Governments Regard Motorcyclists as a Problem”: Riders’ Rights Activists in the United Kingdom on Threats, Political Mobilization, and Freedom

Humphrey, Mathew; Andersson-Hudson, Jessica

Abstract

This article examines the views of UK riders’ rights activists about perceived threats to the freedom to enjoy motorcycling, and how to mobilize the motorcycling community against these threats. Through semi-structured interviews with activists, we analyze their beliefs in relation to three areas of concern: 1. The greatest threats to the future of motorcycling. 2. The mobilization of the wider motorcycle community. 3. The nature of the freedoms and rights that activists are trying to protect. In relation to (1), “motorcycling” is tightly linked, conceptually, to riding internalcombustion powered machines, and this has a significant impact on how riders’ rights activists engage with perceived threats to it, particularly in the environmental domain. Threats to the future of motorcycling are taken to come from environmental activism, the rise of autonomous vehicles, and overly aggressive road safety campaigns. Perceived threats also, however, have a potential “upside” in terms of the mobilization of the wider motorcycling community. Finally, rider’s rights activists are “classically liberal” in their understanding of the fundamental basis of riders’ rights – people have a right to freely engage in activities that are self-regarding, and which have no or minimal impact on the interests of others.

Citation

Humphrey, M., & Andersson-Hudson, J. (2022). “The Constant is that Governments Regard Motorcyclists as a Problem”: Riders’ Rights Activists in the United Kingdom on Threats, Political Mobilization, and Freedom. International Journal of Motocycle Studies, 18,

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 30, 2020
• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: Feb 19, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 31, 2022
• Journal: International Journal of Motorcycle Studies
• Publisher: Nova Southeastern University
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 18
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5335145
• Publisher URL: https://motorcyclestudies.org/volume-18-2022/the-constant-is-that-governments-regard-motorcyclists-as-a-problem-riders-rights-activists-in-the-united-kingdom-on-threats-political-mobilization-and-freedommathew-humphrey-jessica/
• Additional Information: This article was first published in electronic form in the International Journal of Motorcycle Studies.