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International motorcyclists’ organisations call for road safety improvements

The high numbers of motorcycle crashes that end up with fatalities and serious injuries mean that there is still much work to do on road safety.

That is why international motorcyclists’ organisations FIM and FEMA wrote an open letter, in which they call on the European Commission, the European Parliament, national governments and parliaments and road authorities to take action.

The recently published road safety figures by the European Commission did not look good for motorcyclists. Although the number of fatal crashes has declined over the years with 12% (against a rising number of motorcyclists), in 2020 3042 motorcyclists and 495 moped riders still died as result of a crash in the European Union and EFTA countries (European Free Trade Association).

This means 3.537 people never went home and are missed by their loved ones. It also means high costs for the society. According to SWOV, the costs are about €6.5 million per road death and €0.7 million per serious road injury. On fatalities alone this means almost a €23 billion cost for society. Money and effort that is spent on road safety are therefore not costs but investments in lives, life quality and reduction of costs for society.

Motorcyclists’ organisations FIM and FEMA call on the European Commission, the European Parliament, national governments and parliaments and road authorities in Europe:

  • to include motorcyclists in their mobility and road safety policies,
  • to build safer, forgiving roads and keep them safe,
  • to improve education and training (both pre- and post-test) of motorcyclists where they are
    not only the necessary skills and knowledge are taught but also the mental attitude to ride
    defensively and awareness of risk exposure,
  • to set standards for technical improvements on motorcycles and conspicuity of motorcyclists
    by using extra driving lights, and finally
  • to facilitate effective promotional campaigns on wearing helmets, use of protective clothing
    and risky behaviour and towards drivers to take more care of motorcyclists.

Click here for the full open letter (pdf file). The letter was signed by Jesper Christensen, Director of the Mobility Commission at FIM and by Dolf Willigers, General Secretary at FEMA.

Jesper Christensen
Director of the Mobility Commission
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
Dolf Willigers
General Secretary
Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations

Written by Wim Taal

Top photograph courtesy of Yamaha

This article is subject to FEMA’s copyright

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