Europe – The Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA) – made up of rider organisations who represent their members in countries from across Europe report that, “Motorcycle safety and accidents vary between individual countries.”
FEMA has come to this conclusion in a summary report – “Motorcycle Safety and Accidents in Europe – pdf 569kb” which analyses surveys conducted between 2011 and 2014 of around 25,000 motorcyclists (m/f) about motorcycle safety and accidents.
The surveys were conducted through Riderscan – European scanning tour for motorcycle safety – www.riderscan.eu
Riderscan was coordinated by FEMA, though funded by the European Commission with a variety of partners and experts.
The Motorcycling Survey – was conducted amongst more than 17,000 riders from 18 countries, aimed at collecting information about the motorcycling community around Europe in terms of riding, attitudes, and safety needs.
FEMA – Summary Report
The safety questions asked of riders in the surveys included the subjects:
- How dangerous is it to ride a motorcycle in the various individual European countries?
- What are motorcycle riders’ attitudes towards safety innovations?
- And what safety precautions do they take for themselves?
Also in the latter part of 2014 FEMA’s Dutch member organization MAG (Motorrijders Actie Groep) conducted a survey- pdf 142kb of almost 4,000 Dutch riders with special focus on causes and the impact of motorcycle accidents.
The FEMA summary report shows what the motorcycle dangers are in which ever country, recommending that motorcyclists need to be especially on the alert, with the report’s objective for: safer international motorcycle riding for all.
Further sub-conclusions in the summary report looks at other surveys completed via the Riderscan project.
ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) – Technological innovations should give priority to what riders feel as most useful for them and should thoroughly test ITS systems that motorcycle riders consider dangerous before being given formal European approval for usage in European traffic.
Motorcycle Driving Licence -European regulations determine what kind of driving licence can be obtained for what type of motorcycle at what age. The FEMA survey data show an understanding amongst motorcyclists that step-by- step motorcycle training could result in a safer riding style.
However, the actual operationalization (sic) meets with considerable objections in all countries. First and foremost, motorcycle riders feel that obtaining the full licence is too complex, takes too long and is far too expensive: it discourages people from obtaining a motorcycle license at all.
Secondly, motorcycle riders feel that the process is discriminatory compared to getting a car driving license: a starting 18-year-old new car driver does not first have to drive for years in a Trabant (?) before (s)he may start driving a Ford Focus and then only after years is allowed to hit the road with a Ferrari.
The latter, this new 18-year-old car driver may do from the very first day (s)he has a car drivers licence.
All in all, European motorcycle riders are not convinced that the step-by-step motorcycle license requirement really benefits motorcycle riding safety.
However specifically on driver licensing, at Motorcycle Minds we know that in Northern Ireland authorities there are trying to introduce a Graduated Driving Licensing system (GDL) for young and new drivers. Part of this looks at introducing a log book system similar to the UK/Northern Ireland – CBT (Compulsory Basic Training), that riders must progress through different modules before being “allowed” to ride unaccompanied on the road on a low powered motorcycle or moped.
Other aspects of the proposed GDL is looking at age limits so that young driver taking driving lessons must successfully complete the modules in the log book before they can take a test and that they must have taken training for at least a year before they can take a driving test.
It would be hard to find any country where Trabants – a lookalike of the Italian Autobianchi – still exist – maybe in rural East Germany? Perhaps a more likely example could be a Nissan Micra.
Irrespective of that example, if you are a 18-year-old (UK 17-year-old) with access to money to pay for insurance needed to drive a Ferrari then is that discrimination compared to a “rich” rider to get a full motorcycle licence?
Or is that just the power of capitalism compared to an argument from a pseudo socialist environmental perspective with ideals of congestion busting means of cheap transport for commuting, working and hard earned leisure?
Whatever – but the Directive is passed, it is enshrined in EU legislation, so rather than flog a dead horse, it might be best either to get over it or lobby to change. With of course the proviso that if there is a will by riders organisations, politicians, member states or the European Commission to do so, but to continue throwing up of what is past when there are other issue to sort is pretty pointless.
However we digress so back to safety and accidents!
Across Borders
The report looks at cross border riding across European Borders and now possibly from Europe to mainland UK.
The report – flowery in its language – from riders themselves – puts down what should be known from training to experience gained:
Cross-border riding – Riding a motorcycle requires optimal use of all senses to monitor the ever vast-changing road environment behind, next to and in front of the rider in order to be able to react defensively before it is too late. To ride safely and prevent becoming a victim of an accident, it helps to be aware of the most important and most frequently occurring risks motorcycle riders encounter.
Not only in one’s own country but also in other European countries: these days so many riders take their bikes cross-border on long range tours.
To the high passes in the Alps. To the curvy roads in the hills of Sauerland or the Eiffel. To the sunny coastal areas all along the Mediterranean. To the vast emptiness of the Scandinavian countries. To the ever more popular destinations in the eastern European countries and the Baltic states.
How easy it is to assume that riding conditions in your own country also apply to other countries. Not so!
Cross-border risks – Truly reliable and credible ‘rider-be-aware’ advice comes from fellow-riders speaking from their own experiences. In recent years, rider survey data and motorcycle statistics have become available for almost 20 European countries about the dangers riders face in the various European countries. These dangers are often different from what one is used to in his/her own country. Being aware of these differences is indispensable knowledge when planning to ride cross-border.
The report looks at how many estimated riders there are in Europe from 2013 figures, 23,000,000 motorcycles in 31 European countries according to the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM) who was the market leader, with on average, two-thirds of European motorcycle riders own one motorcycle and one-third two or more motorcycles. Half of the European motorcycle riders use their motorcycles for leisure only; about one-third also for commuting to work.
The report asks – Are some European countries more dangerous for motorcycle riders than others? The answer in part is indicated in, “Official European Commission statistics (CARE 2012) report about 4,500 fatal motorcycle accidents. The danger rank of each country is based on calculating the number of registered motorcycles per fatal accident. The more motorcycles per fatal accident, the safer the country is; the fewer motorcycles per fatal accident, the more dangerous the country is. Countries can then be classified in two categories as relatively safe or relatively dangerous compared to the European average.”
With the caveat that, “Countries differ in climate conditions, in average riding kilometers per year, in quality of road infrastructure, in driving license training and in general car driver behavior etcetera.” the report states that, “the European average is 5,000 motorcycles per fatality. The calculations show that Croatia is the most dangerous and Denmark is the least dangerous country (for countries not categorized the required data is not available.)”
When analyzing data from FEMA’s Motorcycling Survey among 17,000 European motorcycle riders there is a rather similar country ranking, Greek motorcycle riders reported the highest percentage of accident incidences and Denmark the lowest percentage (for countries not categorized the required data is not available.)
Scandinavia has the lowest accident incidence. For Poland, it appears that accident incidences are limited but if an accident occurs that it is relatively often fatal. A possible explanation for the difference between Scandinavian and southern European countries could be that because of the long winter the riding season in Scandinavia is relatively short: more than 80% of Scandinavian riders avoid riding during the winter months.
On average, about half of the European motorcycle accidents are one-sided; the other half are collisions, almost always with a car. In almost all countries motorcycle riders under 35 years of age report relatively high accident involvement.”
Seemingly harking back to the European Commission’s attempt to introduce mandatory road worthiness testing for Powered Two Wheelers in all member states (2012 – 2014) – not all European countries have – nor rider organisation want – road worthiness testing introduced, to reduce collisions and injuries the report states that, “Motorcycle riders know that the technical condition and maintenance of their motorcycle are critical to their personal safety (Do they really?)” with, “All available data show: the technical condition of motorcycles is not a significant factor in accident causation.”
While the technical condition of a motorcycle may lead to an near-accident or maybe not the report on the topic of the European road infrastructure the report states that the, “Quality of road surface and maintenance is of utmost importance for motorcycle safety. The FEMA survey among 17.000 European motorcycle riders reveals to what extent road infrastructure problems lead to near-accidents.” with, “A between-country comparison shows that according to the motorcycle riders themselves the most dangerous road infrastructure exists in Greece and the least dangerous in Denmark.”
With no surprise the report says that, “It is worth noting that the top-3 of road infrastructure problems is identical for all countries. The difference between countries is the extent to which they occur. This is the top 3 of road infrastructure problems:
- Poor maintenance: potholes, fillings etc.
- Road surface itself: top layer material (slippery, repair patches, bitumen fillings etc.)
- Markings on road surface (painted or patched-on): signs, lines, warnings, arrows etc.”
Nearly There – On Safety Innovations
At this point we will just let the report speak for itself as it runs through what riders think of innovations for rider safety, bearing in mind we are now two years ahead that safety innovations have become reality and are not just sitting on a drawing board and some have “crashed and burned” in the world of commercialism – e.g. SKULLY – HUD (Heads Up Display) – Augmented Reality Helmet.
Motorcycle riders rated innovations as to being useful or dangerous for motorcycle riding.
The motorcyclists’ top 10 of useful-for-motorcycles technological innovations is:
- (Curve) ABS (anti-lock braking system)
- Visibility improving helmet (prevention of visor fogging-up through heating or de-humidification)
- Monitoring of tire pressure and temperature
- Vision enhancement (contrast reinforcement in bad-sight weather conditions)
- Brake assist (applying maximum braking pressure in emergency situations)
- Linked braking systems (engaging both front and rear brakes also when only one is activated)
- Impact-sensing cut-off systems
- Motorcycle diagnosis (mechanical and technical problems)
- Adaptive front lighting (light beam projecting into curves)
- Automatic stability control (preventing rear wheel spin and front wheel lift-off)
The motorcyclists’ top 10 of dangerous-for-motorcycles technological innovations is:
- Helmet-mounted display of motorcycle information on helmet visor
- Intelligent speed limitation (alert and/or intervene when posted speed limit is exceeded; prevent acceleration over posted speed limit)
- Warning and automatic intervention when set cruise control speed is exceeded
- Continuous on/off flashing strobe lights for visibility
- Real-time rear-view display on helmet visor or windshield
- Adaptive cruise control (maintaining a fixed distance to vehicle in front)
- Lane departure warning (when changing lanes)
- Heads-up display of vehicle information on windshield
- Intersection collision avoidance (through vehicles transmitting speed, location and riding direction to roadside beacons)
- Curve speed warning (GPS-based warning for too much tilt / speed in upcoming curve)
Back to Basics
The report states that, “The vast majority of European motorcyclists – therefore – take their own safety precautions, the top three on taking safety precautions are:
Motorcycle gloves
Motorcycle helmet (fluorescent not so much yet)
Motorcycle jacket with protectors
with most riders also using:
Motorcycle boots
Motorcycle trousers with protectors
The report which gives a mixed outlook from the surveys with the vast majority of European motorcyclists agreeing that, “That riding a motorcycle will always involve a certain risk and that it is riskier than driving a car. About half of the riders expect that new technology will make traffic safer and greener. About one-third fear for technology that will distract riders too much from their riding environment.”
Reiterating what the FEMA summary report is intended to improve it states this is:
- awareness of riders’ potential cross-border motorcycle risks and as well as
- awareness of ITS-parties regarding motorcyclists’ attitudes towards motorcycle-safe and motorcycle-dangerous technological innovations.
We ask has the report set out to achieve?
What do you think?
Original Source – FEMA website – Motorcycle safety and accidents in Europe
Read the full report at FEMA – Motorcycle Safety and Accidents in Europe a summary report – August 2016 pdf 569kb
The summary report is written by Harold de Bock, member of the board of MAG Netherlands, which is a FEMA member organisation.
MAG’s Grote Motorrijdersenquête & Enquête MAG-ondersteunende motorclubs pdf 142kb
Motorcycle enthusiasts (and motorcycle marketers) may prefer a simpler path to obtain a license, but the system of multiple tests does effect “motorcycle safety.” Let’s note that PTWs are different from cars, specifically that PTWs don’t offer protection from impacts as cars do. Thanks to airbags, crumple zones, belts, et al., cars have been getting “safer” over the years. Personal protection for a PTW driver in the form of impact pads, helmets, gloves, etc. are very limited in effectiveness because the human body was not designed to bash into things at speeds above “caveman running away from the tiger.”
A reasonably accurate measure of the danger of motorcycling is to compare bikes to cars, applying the same measure of exposure, say vehicle kilometers traveled or vehicle miles traveled, and counting only car drivers and bike drivers to eliminate passenger fatality counts. By such measure, a bike driver is typically 20-40 times as likely to die on a motorcycle as in a passenger vehicle. Given those statistics, “motorcycle safety” is an oxymoron, like “healthy corn dogs” or “intelligent Brexit.”
If the above is correct, then one of the few danger management tactics that might work for PTWs is to discourage people from getting into the sport. You have to be awfully clever and extremely skillful to avoid crashes, and only those people who are seriously committed to motorcycling should be allowed to participate. The problem is, we don’t have any handy ways to filter out those who aren’t the right stuff. So the next best tactic is to keep those multi-level tests in place. Those wanna-be people with little stamina or dedication to getting licensed will drop out.
Do the exams guarantee more skillful or more knowledgeable riders? Not so much. Do the exams, red tape, and extra expense help control the fatality rate? Most probably. Would motorcycle marketers like to see a simple, easy path to getting more people on bikes, as in the USA? Well, of course, but money must not be allowed to be the reason for changing the licensing system.
So, while it’s natural to want to share our enthusiasm for motorcycling with other people, and make the path to getting a license easy and cheap, it’s really in our best interests to keep those multiple exams in place. If we don’t take steps to make motorcycling less dangerous, one of these days governments will wake up to the danger and take drastic steps to curtail the sport.
So long as government reports talk about some countries being “safe” for motorcycling, the wolf is merely scratching at the door. When governments start talking about the level of danger for different countries, the wolf will have fired up the chainsaw.
Are four motorcycle tests too many? – British Motorcyclists Federation – BMF
In the article the FEMA summary report states regarding the 3rd European Driving Licence Directive (3DLD) that, “All in all, European motorcycle riders are not convinced that the step-by-step motorcycle license requirement really benefits motorcycle riding safety.
Our opinion says, “Whatever – but the Directive is passed, it is enshrined in EU legislation, so rather than flog a dead horse, it might be best either to get over it or lobby to change. With of course the proviso that if there is a will by riders organisations, politicians, member states or the European Commission to do so, but to continue throwing up of what is past when there are other issue to sort is pretty pointless.”
However one rider organisation, the British Motorcyclists Federation – BMF in the UK are asking – Are four motorcycle tests too many? as they report that “The National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) has written to the Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Transport, Andrew Jones, calling for a reformation of the current motorcycle testing system.
As per previous comments to this article the UK is still in the EU after Brexit, even whenever the UK jumps out of the EU riders who want to visit Europe are still going to need a licence that is acceptable to ride in a “foreign” country.
Also bearing in mind that instructors and training schools have until 31st December 2018 (first proposed in 2012) to have motorcycles they use for training and testing comply with the new rules that amend the 3DLD on what riders can use to take the test on for an A2 and A licence category.
There is a different minimum power for test motorcycles of the largest motorcycles (category A) with an increase from at least 40 kW to at least 50kW and a minimum weight of 180 kg (unladen mass weight).
For A2 motorcycles the proposed changes will decrease the minimum kW output for A2 motorcycles from 25kW (approx 33.5 bhp) to 20kW (approx 27bhp)
Are four motorcycle tests too many?
The BMF article reads, Stephen Latham, Head of the NMDA, said: “The age restrictions are complicated and inconsistent with the simpler licence system for driving cars, where a 17-year-old can learn to drive any car regardless of engine size.
The National Motorcycle Dealers Association (NMDA) has written to the Parliamentary under Secretary of State for Transport, Andrew Jones, calling for a reformation of the current motorcycle testing system.
“A streamlining of the system would bring motorcycle testing in line with other vehicle tests and simplify the position for learners.”
They also emphasised the issue facing young apprentices working with motorcycles who would not be able to test-ride certain bikes due to engine size age restrictions.
The four testing subcategories are:
Moped, tricycle or quad bike (up to 50 cc, up to 28mph, min age 16)
Light motorcycle (120 cc to 125 cc, min age 17)
Standard motorcycle (395+ cc, min age 23)
Unrestricted motorcycle (595+ cc, min age 24)
Data from gov.uk 11/08/16
(Motorcycle Minds – To clarify, depending on a riders age they may only have to complete one test ie a 24 year old can complete a direct access course to obtain a lincence – however riders when first coming to take their test will have in certain circumstance take CBT (Compulsory Basic Training) along with other theory tests before they can ride accompanied on the road with a qualified instructor.)
Stephen Latham added that “this would enable the new motorcycle apprentice standards to be fulfilled, and also make the system more economically viable for riders, encouraging growth for the industry during a time when ensuring consumer confidence is paramount.”
The BMF feels that the current motorcycle test regime is certainly unsatisfactory. The DVSA will admit that doing the same test three times on different size bikes is pointless. A logbook/training route could be an option within the EU Third Driving Licence Directive but has not been implemented in the UK.
The BMF would like to see a reconsideration of the test regime but there is no appetite for revising the Directive in the EU. It therefore seems unlikely that any substantial change can be made here until the UK has left the EU.
(Note that the 125cc learner capacity limit was introduced by the UK all by itself, prior to any EU directives, and in some road safety forums it has been suggested that stepped licencing should be introduced for car drivers).
Do you think the engine size restrictions are an unnecessary burden for riders or an essential safety requirement?
Let the BMF know your thoughts on their Facebook page
Read the full article
Well hello Harold,
I’m not sure what Brexit refers to in the context of our article, not least because we live in France. Although possibly more relevant is that the U.K. will end up in the EEA (as did Norway) and still be part of FEMA. Ultimately it’s not over till the Fat Lady sings – the British parliament may well overturn the referendum – it has that power and authority. Irrespective of any decision about the U.K. we (by that I mean Trevor and myself) will continue to comment and critique. After all, any researcher worth his salt knows that critiques are very important and useful in order to improve the quality of his/her work. So please take our comments as intended – in good faith.
With regards leaving Europe to Dolf (by that I mean the FEMA General Secretary), why would we want to do that if – as he is fully aware – we do not agree with his evaluation of various issues? I could list them, but that is not really the point.
We – Trevor and myself – do not represent any UK organisation. We are now “Motorcycle Minds”, we are global! and as before – (maybe you should ask Wim the story behind this…) with our logo for Right To Ride – “DON’T EXPECT US TO BE QUIET” 🙂
All the best,
Elaine and Trevor (he wrote that article by the way)
Well Elaine, with Brexit coming up you won’t have to worry too much about what Europe might be doing with the report :). You may leave that to Dolf now…….. Ride safely, Harold