Europe – A safe infrastructure for motorcyclists’ campaign has been launched in the European Parliament by the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA) and the European Union Road Federation (ERF).
The campaign ‘Road Infrastructure Safety – The Motorcyclists’ Vision” was launched on Wednesday 26th September during an event in the European Parliament, hosted by motorcycling MEP Wim van de Camp.
Based around a previously published joint position paper from FEMA and ERF – ‘Improving infrastructure safety for powered two-wheelers’ both the ERF and FEMA strongly believe that road safety for motorcyclists can be improved by looking at the design of road infrastructure.
Both organisations state, “Basic and low-cost preventive measures such as the installation of motorcycle protection systems on guardrails, maintaining the skid resistance of pavement markings and ensuring that roads surfaces are properly maintained, can make an important contribution to the safety of riders and help achieve better progress towards reaching the EU’s goal of reducing fatalities by 50 percent by 2020 in line with the objective set out in the Road Safety Action Program 2011-2020.”
ERF and FEMA have also encouraged the European Commission to, “Include specific measures focussed on infrastructure motorcycle protection for the coming road safety framework 2020-2030. Both organisations are open to cooperate by sharing expertise and technical knowledge with policymakers which can be transformed in positive measures to develop a safer mobility in Europe.”
The joint position paper is structured along two main themes, as the paper explains:
“As a first step, it will identify ‘low-hanging fruits’ that can be implemented today from an infrastructure perspective, identifying good practices already in place and make the case for their rapid implementation at EU and national level.”
“As a second step, it will examine how infrastructure standards and design can be improved in the future in line with technological innovations taking place both from an infrastructure and vehicle perspective.”
Laid out in chapters the position paper deals with the subjects of:
- Making roadside forgiving for motorcyclists/using motorcycle protection systems
- Better maintenance of road surface and markings
- Smoothness of road surface which includes:
Eliminating potholes and fissures
Debris, pollution and fallen loads/spillage on the road surface
Design of urban cross roads
Manhole covers
- Future challenges for road infrastructure including
Recommendations for the retro-fitting of existing guard (rails)
Updating of the TS 1317-8 European Technical Specification for Motorcycle protection systems (crash barriers)
Update of EN 124:2015 European Technical Specification (skid resistance for manhole covers)
Beat Of The Same Drum
There is nothing really new in the joint position paper, as much has been written and published over many years on improving the road infrastructure for motorcyclists, you only have to look at our Virtual Research Library: Roads – Infrastructure – Crash Barriers – Manhole Covers – to see these published from a national, a global a European wide perspective.
However, let’s not forget that there are good examples of motorcycle friendly road infrastructure design being utilised. For example as recently highlighted by FEMA – German roads become safer for motorcyclists with plastic posts and signs – “The development of the new system was actively supported by the German motorcyclists’ association (and FEMA member) Biker Union e.V. as part of the Working Group ‘Motorcycle Safety’ of the German Road and Transportation Research Association, elaborating a new edition of the German ‘Handbook to Improve Road Infrastructure for Motorcycles’.”
Or still to be highlighted by ourselves, as discovered by local rider Tommy Donnelly, the fitting of under guard rail protection at two locations in Northern Ireland which led to us contacting the Roads Service in Northern Ireland.
The first for the province was at the University of Ulster in Coleraine the second installation at the Church Bends, Glenshesk Road, Armoy.
Although we have been informed that both sections were provided in response to safety concerns for the North West 200 and the Armoy Road Races that take place there.
Similar to this was in in 2013 when Preformed Markings assisted leading specialist highways contractor EMTEK in Northern Ireland, to provide anti-slip solutions to the many manhole covers that stretch along the NW200 Motorcycle Road Race track, this did not become assimilated into “normal” road infrastructure for the everyday rider.
While we look forward to the enhancement of the FEMA and ERF ‘Road Infrastructure Safety – The Motorcyclists’ Vision” campaign maybe this is the time to beat that same drum again but possibly with just a different beat to make those that need to listen, to sit up and take a bit more notice, to highlight the issue of “badly” designed and maintained infrastructure.
FEMA – ERF Position Paper
Original Source – Safe infrastructure for motorcyclists campaign launched in the European Parliament
Further Information
ERF: Established in 1998, the European Union Road Federation (ERF) is non-profit association which defends the role of roads as a sine que non for Europe’s socio-economic prosperity. With more than 60 members, it acts as a true platform for dialogue and research on issues related to safe mobility. www.erf.be
FEMA: The Federation of European Motorcyclists´ Associations (FEMA) represents European motorcyclists and aims to promote, protect and preserve motorcycling. Its mission is to promote riders’ interests and defend riders’ rights throughout Europe and globally www.fema-online.eu
Glenshesk Road Armoy – Motorcycle Friendy pdf
A Different Drum – A Different Beat!
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