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ETSC – ROAD SAFETY RASH
On the 18th December the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) released the report “The Road Safety Performance Index (PIN)” and supporting documents relating to motorcycle safety. The report uses motorcycle statistics regarding accidents and deaths as the basis for more draconian measures to restrict motorcycling in Europe.
The ETSC report recommends:
- Enforce the compulsory wearing of helmets
- Install speed cameras able to detect speeding riders
- Improve rider and driver training with regard to particular hazards related to motorcycling
- Address specific needs of PTW users in road design and road maintenance
- Mandate ABS for high-capacity machines and investigate their effectiveness for smaller PTWs
- Investigate the extent to which airbags are viable PTW safety measures
- Include PTW issues in the European research agenda
- Let motorcyclists benefit from eCall, which is to become a standard for passenger cars in many EU countries.
Some recommendations are good, including:
1) Address specific needs of PTW users in road design and road maintenance.
2) Include PTW issues in the European research agenda.
However, the use of statistics in the ETSC document to support their recommendations has raised some concerns. For example, the ETSC data suggest that in Great Britain there has been an annual increase in fatalities of 4% between 1996 and 2006, but they used absolute figures rather than rates, in other words, they haven't taken into consideration that the motorcycle usage has almost doubled over that period of time.
Later, they used billion kilometres travelled for fatalities in GB as a comparison with other European countries, but only for 2006. What they failed to mention is the trend-line of these fatality rates in GB over the period 1996 to 2006 decreased, thus contradicting the previous increase of 4%. Furthermore, comparison of data in Europe is problematic due to the different methods of counting casualties.
One quote in the report by Rune Elvik from the safety organisation TOI, Norway (same Rune Elvik who wrote a document in favour of DRL), “In Norway, I believe all the most cost effective measures have been implemented – mandatory helmet use, strict licensing, engine tuning ban, daytime running lights for motorbikes. The question that needs to be raised now is whether there should be any place for these motorised toys in the transport system at all“.
The ETSC report was intended to be used by the Flemish Transport Minister in Belgium as an agenda put to the Flemish parliament to approve in order to restrict motorcycling. MAG Belgium had also put forward its own motorcycle friendly document.
The issue was to be debated in the Belgium Parliament at the Flemish level but a critique of the ETSC document by FEMA's Research Officer was used by MAG Belgium to lobby members of the parliament. After a one hour debate on motorcycle safety the parliament "kicked" out the ETSC report and accepted MAG Belgium's motorcycle friendly programme instead.
Out In The Public Domain
MAG responded to the report with a press release issued on Christmas Eve, which on one hand you might say not many people would be reading and reporting issues at that time of the year, but on those websites that carry our news the press release has remained at the top of their news list over the holiday period, for all to read!
Europe Questions the Role for Motorcycle ‘toys’ on our Roads
Issued 24th December 2007
A leading EU transport “expert” has questioned whether there is any place for motorcycles on Europe’s roads.
Norwegian Rune Elvik says: “In Norway, I believe all the most cost effective measures have been implemented – mandatory helmet use, strict licensing, engine tuning ban, daytime running lights for motorbikes. The question that needs to be raised now is whether there should be any place for these motorised toys in the transport system at all.”
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG UK) says that Elvik’s comments, which are contained in a recent report from the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), are biased and anti motorcycling.
There is a real danger of these so called experts’ opinions and motorcycle safety reports being accepted without question.
On 21st December 2007, the Flemish Parliament in Belgium was presented with the ETSC report as a basis for legislation on motorcycle safety.
However the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) Belgium, with the support of MPs, defended the riders’ position by using the Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations’ (FEMA), European Agenda for Motorcycle Safety which highlights the importance of finding real solutions to improve the casualty rates for motorcyclists.
As a direct result of MAG Belgium’s action, the ETSC report was rejected and instead, MAG Belgium’s motorcycle friendly programme was adopted.
MAG’s General Secretary, Trevor Baird, says, “Motorcycling is under constant threat from the European safety agenda. The introduction of this agenda has been thwarted in Belgium before it spreads further like a rash across Europe. MAG will continue to protect motorcycling and defend riders’ rights from whatever quarter the threat comes.”
1. FEMA’s European Agenda For Motorcycle Safety http://www.fema.ridersrights.org/docs/EAMS2007.pdf
2. The ETSC reports can be found at http://www.etsc.be/PIN.php
Road Safety Performance Index -http://tinyurl.com/33ehxo
Press Release - Motorcyclists Deaths In Europe - http://tinyurl.com/39vn8j
Methodological Note - http://tinyurl.com/33asls
Tables - http://tinyurl.com/2r8q4q
Trevor Baird
General Secretary MAG UK
Email general-secretary@mag-uk.org
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