A European Agenda for Motorcycle Safety The Motorcyclists’ Point of View April 2009 Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations Rue des Champs 62 1040 Brussels, Belgium Tel. +32 (0)2 736 9047 Fax. +32 (0)2 736 9401 Email: [email protected] Website: www.fema-online.eu Contents Foreword __________________________________________________________ 5 Executive Summary__________________________________________________ 7 I. A brief introduction to motorcycling in Europe__________________________ 9 Who rides a motorcycle and for what purpose?______________________________ 10 Advantages of Motorcycles ______________________________________________ 11 Environmental value ___________________________________________________________12 Social and economic value ______________________________________________________12 Looking at the most efficient transport modes________________________________________13 II. Putting motorcycle safety into the right context _______________________ 15 Motorcycling can never be made risk-free __________________________________________15 Most riders are safety conscious__________________________________________________15 The extreme "high risk takers" ___________________________________________________16 Motorcycle accident statistics ____________________________________________ 16 Crash reports and lack of useful data ______________________________________________18 Reliable EU statistics missing ____________________________________________________19 Motorcycle accident research_____________________________________________ 19 FEMA Involvement in EU Research Projects ________________________________________20 Motorcycle accident studies reach the same conclusion _______________________________20 III. Improving motorcycle safety in Europe ______________________________ 23 London Study Case____________________________________________________________23 Motorcycle Safety Strategies ____________________________________________________25 Key Motorcycle Safety Aspects ___________________________________________ 25 Human factors________________________________________________________________26 Near Miss Research _________________________________________________________26 Education & Training_________________________________________________________27 FEMA’s Initial Rider Training project __________________________________________27 Rider traffic strategies______________________________________________________29 Collision-avoidance skills ___________________________________________________30 Filtering and Lane Splitting __________________________________________________31 Hazard Awareness ________________________________________________________32 Need for qualified instructors ________________________________________________32 Training facilities__________________________________________________________33 Voluntary post-licence training _______________________________________________33 Licensing__________________________________________________________________33 Physical/Alcohol/Substance impairment __________________________________________34 Personal protective equipment _________________________________________________35 Helmet and helmet use_______________________________________________________36 Vehicle factors________________________________________________________________38 Vehicle equipment __________________________________________________________38 Tyres___________________________________________________________________38 Braking systems __________________________________________________________38 Conspicuity ________________________________________________________________39 Vehicle modifications (tampering)_______________________________________________41 Maintenance _______________________________________________________________41 Intelligent Transport Systems __________________________________________________42 Environmental factors __________________________________________________________44 Road infrastructure __________________________________________________________46 Road Restraint systems ____________________________________________________47 Other Road Environment Issues________________________________________________48 Road maintenance __________________________________________________________49 3 FEMA - Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations Road hazards and black spot management _______________________________________50 Identification and signposting of "Black Spots". __________________________________51 A pan-European Road Hazard Report form _____________________________________51 Traffic management _________________________________________________________51 Other Vehicle Design ________________________________________________________52 Social factors_________________________________________________________________55 Driver awareness ___________________________________________________________55 Motorcycle Industry advertising ________________________________________________57 Motorcycle Magazines _______________________________________________________57 Transportation Community Attitude ___________________________________________58 Medical community attitude; Police forces ______________________________________58 The "Safety Dialogue" – Rider Peer Pressure _____________________________________59 Insurance and fiscal incentives_________________________________________________59 Conclusion ________________________________________________________ 63 The Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations __________________ 65 References ________________________________________________________ 67 Annex 1 – Types of motorcycles ______________________________________ 69 Street_________________________________________________________________ 69 Off-road_______________________________________________________________ 71 Dual purpose __________________________________________________________ 72 Annex 2 – Overview of motorcycle use and accident statistics in EU 15 _____ 73 Annex 3 – Overview of FEMA’s involvement in Motorcycle Research Projects 79 FEMA projects:_________________________________________________________ 79 Motorcyclists & Crash Barrier projects _____________________________________________79 Initial Rider Training Project (IRT)_________________________________________________79 Motorcycle Industry projects:_____________________________________________ 80 6th European Research Framework Programme (FP6):________________________ 80 Integrated Projects on Advanced Protection Systems (APROSYS) _______________________80 Towards Integrated Safety for Powered Two Wheelers (MYMOSA)_______________________80 7th European Research Framework Programme (FP7) - ICT and SST: ___________ 81 Annex 4 –Motorcycle Accident Research Studies ________________________ 85 The Hurt Report (1981 – US) ______________________________________________ 85 The MAIDS Study (2004 – EU)_____________________________________________ 86 The “Behavioural Research in Road Safety” (2004 - UK Department for Transport) 87 Annex 5 –Road Infrastructure handbooks ______________________________ 89 Acknowledgements: FEMA would like to thank all those people and organisations for the information and for the photographs that have been included in this document. 4 FEMA - Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations Foreword While in agreement with the overall objective of improving road safety, as a citizens’ organization, FEMA has concerns about the approach often taken by public authorities both in general terms and more specifically regarding motorcycle safety. Indeed, achieving the target of reducing the number of fatalities by half in Europe by 2010 has become a quasi corporate target for the European Union and its Member States. Reaching set targets within a specific time constraint is unquestionably important, but the measures to be implemented need to be carefully assessed and should not have a negative impact on any road user. Improving road safety is a common objective and FEMA firmly believes that every life, whether a car driver, a motorcyclist, a cyclist or a pedestrian, is worth the same. Saving lives of one category of road users at the cost of raising the risk, and therefore the number of fatalities of another, is simply ethically unacceptable for FEMA members. FEMA and its members are therefore working to ensure a holistic approach to road safety, taking into account all road users. Road safety is an important issue for all motorcyclists. Contrary to some organisations and institutions that keep a high profile in the motorcycle safety debate, FEMA has no "hidden commercial agenda". The motorcycling community has extensive, experience based knowledge of why accidents happen. The motorcyclists and their organisations are in many ways the "real experts". With its European Agenda for Motorcycle Safety (EAMS), FEMA intends to contribute to the road safety debate, providing stakeholders with the motorcyclists’ expertise and real needs. The document emphasizes that motorcycles and motorcyclists have different characteristics from other vehicles and their drivers and identifies the specific needs of motorcyclists that must be addressed along with those of other road users. The EAMS is aimed at providing legislators, decision makers, and all stakeholders dealing with motorcycle safety, with a brief summary of why motorcycle accidents happen from a rider’s perspective and recommendations on how to improve motorcycle safety in some selected areas of particular concern. Aline Delhaye FEMA General Secretary 5 FEMA