Germany – For us at Motorcycle Minds one of the pieces or systems of road infrastructure that we have reported on and have been involved from a rider’s perspective are Vehicle Restraint Systems – Crash Barriers – in all their forms and in solutions to protect riders with the installation of Motorcycle Protection Systems (MPS) to original barrier systems.
Over the years we have seen road infrastructure authorities struggle to accept the “danger” that road side and central reservation barriers present to riders including their placement and types of barrier systems. This despite continued concerns by riders and their organisations.
Motorcycle Protection Systems (MPS) usually takes the form of an under-guard rail, which protects falling riders and the motorcycle from impacting the exposed upright posts of crash barrier systems.
Changes to technical requirements have been forthcoming but slow, the requirements early on in the development of MPSs were mainly the forced acceptance though technical details, for Europe specific standards, that MPSs can be fitted to most original barrier systems without affecting other vehicles.
Some countries have barred the use of certain barrier systems, e.g. Norway barred Wire Rope Systems or in the case of the Netherlands, made a commitment not to fit these systems and the UK to fit concrete barriers on roads over a certain traffic flow number – e.g. motorways, in the place of wire rope barriers.
Most rider organisations from Europe to Australia have an opinion on crash barrier systems and what is a “safer” barrier for motorcyclists, The Swedish rider organisation SMC – Sveriges MotorCyklister concluded in 2015 – “The more barriers that are installed without MPS, the more motorcyclists will be killed and seriously injured in barrier accidents.”
In our opinion the most effective protection for motorcyclists and other vulnerable road users e.g. cyclists are the identification of sites where motorcycle friendly barrier systems are not fitted. But how are riders going to get these Motorcycle Protection Systems (MPS) where they are needed?
Step forward MEHRSi (pronounced merci as in the French for thank you) from Germany.
MEHRSI – Germany
MEHRSi was founded in 2003, as a non-profit organization with the aim to significantly reduce the death rate and the degree of injury among motorcyclists/cyclists by having the “safety barriers” of all curves, that are dangerous for motorcyclists, throughout Germany equipped with underrun protection.
As we know and as MEHRSi points out, the dangerous thing about the guardrail for motorcyclists is when they are impacted, a sliding rider can slip through underneath the guardrail and “lose arms and legs at the support post.”
The underrun protection is a spring-mounted steel plank that absorbs impact energy in the event of a collision and effectively prevents slipping. As a result, any contact with the sharp-edged support post is no longer possible.
Part of the work of MEHRSi is to liaise with the relevant authorities to jointly identify critical bends and inform about underrun protection options. But for that, MEHRSi needs financial support which it receives through donations or contributions, riders can subscribe to MEHRSi annually as can commercial businesses as sponsors. MEHRSi has an active community of about 2000 members and over 50 commercial supporters and donors.
Another part of the work of MEHRSi is to create positive platforms for everyone involved, liaising at road safety and press conferences, with district administrators and so forth.
MEHRSi has numerous supporters, together with the MEHRSi patrons Otto Flimm, ADAC Honorary President, Ute Vogt, SPD member of the German Bundestag, and Dr. Ing. Peter Struck, Federal Minister a.D. (until his death on 19.12.2012 and celebrities such as Toni Mang, Ralf Waldmann, Helmut Dähne, Jutta Kleinschmidt u.v.m., the work of MEHRSi.
The purchase of the underrun protection, when a site has been identified and agreed to, is done by tender to the competent authorities and is assembled and fitted by the manufacturer or the competent road authority and also maintained by them. MEHRSi does not pay for the whole of the underride protection but subsidises it in order to achieve a wider spread of more sites thus spreading the use of donations and subsidies.
Thanks to the work of MEHRSi, many critical corners have been made safer with 1000 curves in eleven federal states since 2003. The most recent fitting of an underrun protection was on a country road in the district of Nürnberger Landwirdes near Ittling, Straubing, with an official launch on Saturday, 5th October 2019, with a motorcycle parade with the participation of the motorcycle driving mayor Frank Pitterlein.
Many lives have been saved and serious injuries avoided by MEHRSi with the support of riders, donators, sponsors and forward thinking road authorities.
Thank you all and thank you MEHRSi!
Information – MEHRSi – www.mehrsi.org – On Facebook – On YouTube – Motorcycle Minds – Crash Barriers
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