UK Motorcycle Rider Readiness Report 2026: What We Learned From 87 Riders
Motorcyclists routinely prepare for the physical risks of riding.
We wear helmets, protective clothing, gloves and boots. We maintain our motorcycles, check the weather and plan our routes.
But how prepared are riders for the information gap that can follow a serious accident?
If a rider is injured, confused or unable to communicate, can somebody quickly establish who they are, who should be contacted and whether they have chosen to provide any relevant medical information?
VEXA created the Rider Safety Check to help motorcyclists assess that aspect of their emergency preparedness.
The first 87 completed assessments have now been analysed, and the initial findings reveal substantial gaps.
The average Rider Readiness Score was 45 out of 100
Across the first 87 assessments, the average overall Rider Readiness Score was:
45/100
The assessment considers three principal areas:
- Identification readiness
- Emergency-contact readiness
- Emergency-information readiness
The average scores were:
- Identification: 43/100
- Emergency contacts: 48/100
- Emergency information: 44/100
These results suggest that many participating riders had considered some aspects of emergency preparedness but lacked a complete, accessible system.
More than three-quarters had Moderate Readiness or below
The 87 results were distributed across five readiness bands:
- Significant Gaps: 38%
- Limited Readiness: 24%
- Moderate Readiness: 14%
- Strong Readiness: 9%
- Excellent Readiness: 15%
Combined, 76% of assessed riders recorded Moderate Readiness or below.
Almost two-thirds, 62%, fell into either the Significant Gaps or Limited Readiness bands.
Only 24% achieved Strong or Excellent Readiness.
This doesn’t mean those riders had taken no precautions. It means important gaps remained in how their identity, emergency contacts or selected emergency information could be accessed following an incident.
Phone dependency was the most common protection gap
The most frequently recorded issue was phone dependency, affecting 68% of assessments.
Smartphones can be extremely useful in an emergency. Both iPhone and Android devices allow their owners to configure certain emergency information so that it may be accessed without completely unlocking the device.
Riders should use those features where available.
However, relying entirely on a phone creates a potential single point of failure. Following an accident, a phone could be:
- Damaged
- Lost
- Out of battery
- Locked without emergency information configured
- Separated from the rider
- Difficult to locate at the scene
The findings don’t suggest riders should stop using smartphone emergency features. Instead, they demonstrate why having more than one way of accessing emergency information may provide better coverage.
Identification readiness averaged 43 out of 100
Identification received the lowest of the three category averages at 43/100.
A driving licence, bank card or motorcycle registration may eventually help the authorities establish somebody’s identity. However, identifying a rider and immediately accessing the information they have chosen to provide are not necessarily the same thing.
A dedicated emergency profile could include:
- The rider’s name
- Their date of birth
- Their home town or area
- A profile photograph
- Their motorcycle details
- Other identifying information chosen by the rider
The purpose is not to replace official identification. It is to make selected information easier to access when a rider cannot provide it themselves.
Emergency-contact readiness averaged 48 out of 100
Emergency contacts achieved the highest category score, but the average was still only 48/100.
Most riders carry hundreds of contacts on their phones. That doesn’t necessarily tell somebody which person the rider wants contacted following an accident.
A clear emergency profile can identify:
- The rider’s chosen emergency contacts
- Their relationship to the rider
- More than one contact if the first person is unavailable
- A direct method of calling them
Contact details also need to be reviewed. Telephone numbers change, relationships change and the person originally selected may no longer be the most appropriate emergency contact.
Emergency-information readiness averaged 44 out of 100
The average emergency-information score was 44/100.
Depending on the individual, information they may choose to make available could include:
- Medical conditions
- Allergies
- Current medication
- Blood group
- Communication requirements
- Other information they consider relevant
Riders remain in control of what they provide. An emergency profile does not need to contain an entire medical history or information the rider would not want accessible.
It should contain information the individual believes may be useful if they are unable to communicate.
Emergency professionals will continue to follow their own clinical procedures. Rider provided information should support communication and should never be presented as a replacement for professional assessment, testing or treatment protocols.
What can riders do to improve their readiness?
Improving rider readiness doesn’t need to be complicated.
1. Configure your phone’s emergency features
Check whether your phone allows emergency information and contacts to be displayed from its lock screen.
Make sure the information is accurate and that the selected contacts know they have been nominated.
2. Avoid relying on one item
Consider what would happen if your phone, wallet or other emergency identifier became separated from you.
Using several access points provides alternatives if one cannot be found or used.
3. Make your chosen contacts clear
Identify the people you would want contacted and include their relationship to you.
Where possible, nominate more than one person.
4. Review the information regularly
Update your emergency arrangements whenever you:
- Change your telephone number
- Change emergency contacts
- Begin or stop relevant medication
- Develop a relevant allergy or medical condition
- Change motorcycle
- Change the information you want available
5. Assess your current readiness
The free VEXA Rider Safety Check helps riders examine their existing arrangements and identify potential gaps.
It only takes a few minutes and provides an individual Rider Readiness Score.
Take the free Rider Safety Check:
https://vexamoto.com/rider-safety-check
Where does VEXA fit?
VEXA is a motorcycle-focused emergency identification system.
Riders create a digital emergency profile and choose the identity, contact and medical information they want to make available.
Depending on the VEXA product being used, that profile can be accessed through:
- NFC
- QR code
- The rider’s unique RIDER ID
The VEXA Rider Protection Pack provides several physical access points, while the VEXA FLARE wearable rider band provides an NFC access point worn on the wrist.
No dedicated app is required to access a VEXA profile. It works through a compatible smartphone and web browser.
VEXA is designed to complement, not replace, smartphone emergency settings, official identification or established emergency-service procedures.
Learn more about the VEXA motorcycle emergency identification system:
https://vexamoto.com/motorbike-ice-system
Motorcycle safety includes information preparedness
Motorcyclists prepare for situations they hope will never happen.
A helmet is worn in the hope that it will never strike the ground. Protective clothing is worn in the hope that it will never be tested.
Emergency information follows the same principle.
The first 87 VEXA Rider Safety Checks produced an average readiness score of only 45/100. More than three-quarters recorded Moderate Readiness or below, and phone dependency appeared as the most common protection gap.
These are early findings, but they raise an important question:
If you were unable to speak following an accident, could somebody access the information you wanted them to have?
Take the free VEXA Rider Safety Check and discover your score:
https://vexamoto.com/rider-safety-check
About this report
This report is based on the first 87 completed VEXA Rider Safety Checks.
The assessment is a self-reported educational tool covering identification, emergency contacts and rider selected emergency information. Answers have not been independently verified.
Percentages have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
The findings represent participating riders and should be treated as an initial snapshot. They should not be interpreted as representing every motorcyclist in the United Kingdom.
The Rider Safety Check does not provide medical, legal or professional road-safety advice.
Frequently asked questions
What is motorcycle rider readiness?
Motorcycle rider readiness describes how prepared a rider is for an incident in which they may be unable to identify themselves, contact somebody or communicate information they have chosen to make available.
What emergency information should a motorcyclist carry?
A rider may choose to carry their name, emergency contacts, allergies, medication, relevant medical conditions and motorcycle details. The information provided remains the rider’s choice.
Is smartphone emergency information enough?
Smartphone emergency features are valuable and riders should consider configuring them. However, phones can become damaged, lost, inaccessible or separated from their owners, so some riders choose to carry additional emergency identification.
What was the average VEXA Rider Readiness Score?
The average score across the first 87 completed assessments was 45 out of 100.
What was the most common protection gap?
Phone dependency was the most frequently recorded protection gap, appearing in 68% of the first 87 assessments.
How can I check my Rider Readiness Score?
The VEXA Rider Safety Check is free and available at: