Success: riding with a motorcycle trailer FEMA News 6 March 2024 Some motorcyclists like to attach a trailer to their bike. In the development of the current driving license directive the fact that sometimes motorcycles pull trailers was not taken into account (unlike with cars). The European Parliament now agreed on new, draft rules on EU driving licences and finally fixed an oversight FEMA has been pointing out for years: the possibility to legally ride a motorcycle with a trailer behind it. The proposal that is now adopted by the European Parliament (amendment 59), says the following: 'Without prejudice to the provisions of type-approval rules for the vehicles concerned, motor vehicles in categories referred to in points (a) and (b) may be combined with a trailer with a maximum authorised mass not exceeding half
European Parliament: driver training should focus on risk awareness FEMA News 28 February 20241 March 2024 Today the European Parliament adopted new, draft rules on EU driving licences. No mandatory medical test will be required when a driving licence is being issued and renewed. The introduction of probation period for inexperienced drivers of at least two years. 18-year-olds can obtain a licence to drive a truck or a bus with up to 16 passengers. Introduction of a digital driving licence, available on a mobile phone. Focus should be risk awareness training. No higher minimum age for the A1 licence. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) want drivers to be better prepared for real driving situations and be aware of the risks, in particular for vulnerable road users. Therefore driving in snow and slippery conditions, safe phone use
Mandatory medical tests when renewing a driving licence are controversial FEMA News 28 February 2024 Today the plenary session of the European Parliament debated the proposals on the revision of EU driving licence rules. The most controversial issue turned out to be the proposed mandatory medical test. In the original proposal by the European Commission, Member States may require "an examination applying the minimum standards of physical and mental fitness for driving" when a driving licence has to be renewed; rapporteur Karima Delli MEP, member of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, wants to change this into a mandatory medical test every fifteen years that must be implemented by the Member States. Karima Delli also proposes a probationary period of at least two years for novice drivers. During that period drivers should be subjected to stricter
Presidents FIM & FEMA: working together will benefit motorcyclists FEMA News 19 February 2024 FEMA's newly elected president Odd Terje Dovik had a top meeting with FIM president Jorge Viegas. On the agenda: stronger cooperation on motorcycling issues. The FIM Commissions met in Lyon this weekend, providing an occasion for the new FEMA president, Odd Terje Dovik, to meet with his FIM counterpart, Jorge Viegas, as well as the FIM Deputy director Damiano Zamana. Jesper Christensen, FIM Director of the Commission for Mobility and FEMA board member, was also present. The meeting was following up the presentation given by Damiano at the recent FEMA Annual General Meeting (AGM). At the FEMA AGM, Damiano expressed a strong wish to formalize and further develop the ties between FEMA and FIM, to the benefit of both organisations. In Lyon, this
New president for FEMA FEMA News 14 February 2024 The members of FEMA elected a new President and three new members of the Board. FEMA's Annual General Meeting took place in the Netherlands on Saturday 10 February. The newly elected president Odd Terje Dovik from motorcyclists' organisation NMCU Norway took over from Anna Zee who was president since 2015. Odd Terje thanked Anna for her many years of service, both in FEMA and in the British motorcyclists' organisation BMF. The new members of the Board are Eric Maldiney (FFMC France), Jari Kielinen (SMOTO Finland) and Michael Noonan (IMA Ireland). Board members Jesper Christensen (SMC Sweden) and Steinmar Gunnarsson (BLS Iceland) were re-elected. FEMA also said goodbye to Board member Lene Michelsen and to FEMA treasurer Jim Freeman. Austrian motorcyclists' organisation Bikers' Voice -
UN: motorcycles will be included in the cyber security management regulation FEMA News 31 January 202431 January 2024 Motorcycles, scooters and electric bicycles with speed exceeding 25 km/h will be included in the scope of the UN Regulation No. 155 on cyber security and cyber security management. Cybersecurity, within the context of road vehicles, is the protection of automotive electronic systems, communication networks, control algorithms, software, users, and underlying data from malicious attacks, damage, unauthorized access, or manipulation. The UNECE Cybersecurity regulation requires automotive manufacturers to establish cybersecurity measures to prevent cyber threats. This includes creating a management system, risk assessments, and continuous monitoring against potential vulnerabilities and threats. The UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles decided to include motorcycles, scooters and electric bicycles with speed exceeding 25 km/h in the scope
No extra European import taxes on US motorcycles (yet) FEMA News 15 January 202415 January 2024 The European Union has decided to extend the suspension of its rebalancing tariffs on US products, such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In 2018, the then president Trump signed two proclamations to impose additional duties of 10% and 25% respectively on certain imports of aluminium and steel products into the United States, introducing tariffs on €6.4 billion of European steel and aluminium exports. These measures followed investigations carried out by the US Department of Commerce, which concluded that imports of these products threatened US national security and recommended action to restrict imports. In response, the European Union introduced rebalancing tariffs on US exports to the EU of a value of €2.8 billion; this included import tariffs for US products such as Harley-Davidson motorcycles, making
2023: FEMA’s review of the year FEMA News 20 December 2023 2023 in numbers Newsletter subscribers > 10,075 Facebook followers > 78,788 Instagram followers > 985 LinkedIn followers > 1,132 Twitter (X) followers > 1,632 Member organisations > 20 Posted manufacturers’ recalls > 36 If you don't want to miss any FEMA news, follow us on your favourite social media channel. We reached the end of 2023, time to have a quick look at the highlights of the past year. And what a year it was for FEMA! Defending riders' rights seems to be more important than ever, now that we see more and more policies that are not exactly motorcyclist friendly. Driving licence proposals seem to want to make it as unattractive as possible to get your A licence, road authorities keep implementing infrastructure measures that disregard our needs and
Success: different speed limits for motorcycles rejected FEMA News 18 December 2023 Proposals to establish different speed limits for cars and motorcycles ánd differentiated speed limits for holders of A1, A2 and A motorcycle licences were rejected during a vote in the Transport and Tourism Committee of the European Parliament. On Thursday 7 December 2023, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on the Transport and Tourism Committee adopted their position on the revision of EU driving licence rules by 22 votes in favour, 21 against and two abstentions. MEPs say they “want to make sure the new rules contribute to road safety, in addition to the EU’s green and digital transitions”. Some of the proposed measures: Mandatory health checks on issuance and renewal of driving licence Minimum two year probationary period for novice
Motorcyclists present their road safety wish list FEMA News 14 December 2023 When it comes to reducing casualties among motorcyclists, it is essential to get the riders’ views on road safety. In the world of road safety it is quite common that people talk about motorcyclists, but it is not common that we are talked with. To change this, motorcycle experts presented members of the road safety community with feasible solutions for road safety issues. During the seminar ‘Reducing road deaths among motorcycle riders’, organised by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), motorcycle experts were given the opportunity to present their views to a large audience of over 240 members of the road safety community. The scale of the problem is serious: over 45,000 users of powered two-wheelers lost their lives on European roads in
Dolf Willigers retires from FEMA – A true motorcyclist says goodbye FEMA News 1 November 2023 Today, 1 November 2023, FEMA's General-Secretary Dolf Willigers (66) officially retires from his job. Dolf was a volunteer with a Dutch motorcyclists' organisation since 2000, where he was a member of the board from 2006 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2017. He was also an editor of this organisation's member magazine from 2011 to 2014 where he focused on European issues. Dolf represented the organisation as a delegate to FEMA from 2013 to 2015, when he applied for (and got) the job of FEMA's General-Secretary. In the past eight years we have come to know Dolf as a person that has a deep knowledge of all dossiers concerning motorcyclists' issues. That, combined with his engaging but strong-willed personality, made him well-respected
Car versus motorcycle: new digital safety features tested FEMA News 25 September 2023 Digital connectivity between motorcycles, cars and infrastructure is entering a new phase. Recently FEMA joined a test day on the German Lausitzring track. On 14 and 15 September 2023 stakeholders from motorcycle- and car industry, road safety- and research institutions and users’ organisations got the opportunity to see with their own eyes and experience themselves how the new safety features that are developed by the Connected Motorcycle Consortium and its member’s work. FEMA was invited to participate in these demo days. The Connected Motorcycle Consortium (CMC) was founded in 2016 when BMW Motorrad, Honda and Yamaha agreed upon the need to further enhance motorcycle/scooter safety by the means of C-ITS. Since then, a range of manufacturers, suppliers and research institutes joined forces