Sweden – For many years – since 2013 as Right To Ride – we have been beating the drum about the concept of Vision Zero and that we as motorcyclists must claim Vision Zero as our own and redefine it so that it is positive for motorcyclists.
Potted History
For motorcyclists the suggestion of a vision of zero fatalities, “Vision Zero” harks back to 1997. Sweden’s, Claes Tingvall, one of the authors of the 1999 Vision Zero road safety document, stated back then that, “Motorcycles are incompatible with Vision Zero… It will never work to combine motorcycles with our ambitious road safety.”
In 2012 at the European Motorcycle Forum in Cologne, organised by the Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA), Claes Tingvall in his presentation at the forum clarified the statement that was picked up by rider organisations as anti-motorcycling.
Mr Tingvall has said at various times in the last few years – “he no longer saw motorcycles as incompatible with Vision Zero and that progress toward zero motorcycle deaths needed to focus on rider behaviour rather than vehicle or road design. The motorcycle community work on road safety in Sweden is forward thinking and the results achieved are very possible the best in the world.
The truth is the motorcycle community is probably more safety orientated than any other user group in the community when it comes to the road transport system it actually cares more about safety.
Riding a motorcycle is not unsafe but it can be, there are user groups within the motorcycle community who ride with extremely low risks there are motorcyclists who ride with extremely high risks, it gave us the insight that if it can be so safe to riding a motorcycle then it must be possible to do it for all”.
Back in 2008 the Roads Authority in Norway in collaboration with the riders’ group Norsk Motorcykkel Union (NMCU) produced a “Vision Zero Motorcycle Road” showing that motorcyclists can not only fit into Vision Zero but can lead the way for the benefit of motorcycling.
A couple of years ago we wrote to the UK’s Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) as they pushed the Vision Zero concept, now referred to the Safe Systems Approach and if they thought that motorcycles and their riders could fit into this concept for road safety. Their simple reply was yes!
However, riders’ groups and motorcyclists will still go into an apoplectic state when Vison Zero and motorcycles are mentioned in the same sentence.
Milestone Goals – The Zero Vision – Fewer Accidents
How apt is it that the Swedish rider organisation SMC (Sveriges MotorCyklister) have just reported that, statistics show that Sweden’s motorcyclists have achieved a milestone goals in Zero Vision, “By building their own safety culture, motorcycle owners have reduced fatalities by 40 percent since 2018.”
SMC say that, “Motorcyclists have succeeded with what the outside world claimed was impossible and in addition financed this largely on their own”
The rest of the article from SMC goes on to say:
SMC always states that it is not dangerous to drive the MC if you do everything right, even if it will never be risk-free. Having a driving licence, driving sober / drug-free, driving a motorcycle with modern technology such as ABS and always using good protective equipment and helmets dramatically reduce the risk of accidents and injuries. Driving at reasonable speeds in interaction with other traffic further reduces the risk. This is what a real motorcyclist knows.
Over the past few years, SMC has made great efforts to increase road safety among motorcyclists and create a safety culture. Some examples are information to motorcyclists, training, change of road maintenance regulations to reduce accident risk, standardization of protective clothing and helmets, and initiated and participated in research. SMC’s operations are largely financed solely by membership fees.
- I am happy and proud that we have succeeded in achieving our goal goals in Zero Vision as early as 2019. SMC has created its own safety culture among Swedish motorcycle riders in the motorcycle collective through information, training and opinion formation. Sweden’s motorcyclists are safety conscious and want to come home safely to those we love, says Jesper Christensen, Secretary General of SMC.
- When you ask a motorcyclist where you formed your safety awareness is the answer within the motorcycle collective. Friends, the club, SMC’s courses, MC magazines, websites, social media, forums and other places where SMC exists and that creates a safety culture. Swedish motorcyclist drivers demand and buy traffic safety for large sums each year, says Jesper Christensen, Secretary General of SMC.
At Motorcycle Minds this has not so much been a long time coming but a long time in the making, to see another rider’s organisation take Vision Zero – Safe Systems Approach – building and creating it as their own.
“It is the motorcyclists themselves who managed to achieve the stage goals of the zero vision through the safety culture SMC has been involved in creating.”
So come on people – keep up at the back!
Original Source – The Safety Culture Among Motorcyclists Results In Fewer Accidents – SMC (Sveriges MotorCyklister)
Information
SMC (Sveriges MotorCyklister)
SMC is looking forward to the MC season 2020 starting throughout the country and welcomes everyone – media, government, motorcyclists, politicians and road managers – to contact us on all matters related to motorcycling.
Jesper Christensen, Secretary General, 070-557 75 00
Maria Nordqvist, Political Secretary, 070-538 39 38
Sweden’s Motorcyclists are an interest organization for all motorcyclists who ride on the road. SMC has about 70,000 members. Our most important areas of work are traffic safety, information, tourism, insurance, consumer issues, opinion formation and international work.
www.svmc.se – Facebook – Twitter
Vision Zero For Motorcycling – Right To Ride 2013
For motorcyclists the suggestion of a vision of zero fatalities, “Vision Zero” harks back to 1997. Sweden’s, Claes Tingvall, one of the authors of the 1999 Vision Zero road safety document, stated back then that, “Motorcycles are incompatible with Vision Zero… It will never work to combine motorcycles with our ambitious road safety.”
However since then and as recently as 2012 at the European Motorcycle Forum in Cologne, organised by the Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA), Claes Tingvall in his presentation at the forum clarified the statement that was picked up by rider organisations as anti-motorcycling.
Mr Tingvall has said at various times in the last few years – “He no longer saw motorcycles as incompatible with Vision Zero and that progress toward zero motorcycle deaths needed to focus on rider behaviour rather than vehicle or road design. The motorcycle community work on road safety in Sweden is forward thinking and the results achieved are very possible the best in the world.
The truth is the motorcycle community is probably more safety orientated than any other user group in the community when it comes to the road transport system it actually cares more about safety.
Riding a motorcycle is not unsafe but it can be, there are user groups within the motorcycle community who ride with extremely low risks there are motorcyclists who ride with extremely high risks, it gave us the insight that if it can be so safe to riding a motorcycle then it must be possible to do it for all”.
In 2008 the Roads Authority in Norway in collaboration with the riders Group NMCU produced a “Vision Zero Motorcycle Road” showing that motorcyclists can not only fit into Vision Zero but can lead the way for the benefit of motorcycling.
We as motorcyclists must claim Vision Zero as our own and as mentioned by a motorcycling colleague recently, we must also redefine it so that it is positive for motorcyclists.
If for Northern Ireland the Minister’s vision and ambition is for zero fatalities then any radical and bold action brought forward must include motorcycles, to lead to our own Vision Zero for the benefit of motorcyclists, with the necessary parity in the transport mix with other road users.
Audio of Claes Tingvall presentation at the FEMA Motorcycle Forum 2012 – it is well worth listening to this all the way through – Click Here
Norsk Motorcykkel Union (NMCU) – Norway’s Vision Zero Motorcycle Road 2008 – pdf – 3.4mb – Click Here
Leave a Reply