The safe ride to the future, is ACEM's new motorcycle safety strategy to further improve safety levels for motorcyclists in Europe. This forward-oriented strategy follows an integrated approach covering vehicle technology, users training and infrastructure safety, among others.

Looking into the future: intelligent transport systems

As part of this new strategy, ACEM members have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), i.e. safety systems that allow for communication between vehicles and between vehicles and infrastructure.

ACEM members commit to have at least one of their models available for sale with a cooperative ITS feature by 2020. Moreover the industry will carry out research on an eCall system for motorcycles, i.e. a system that generates emergency calls from a crashed vehicle instantly after a collision has occurred. 

Better training for riding safer

With regard to training of riders, ACEM and the German Road Safety Council (DVR) have joined forces to promote high quality voluntary post-license training schemes across the EU through a ACEM-DVR Quality Label.

This new partnership between the two organisations aims at helping European riders to easily identify high-quality training schemes available to them.  

The need for more tailored safety policies

ACEM will also organise a series of workshops in different European countries to identify and promote measures to improve road safety at national, regional and local levels. These meetings will bring together key stakeholders including public authorities and riders’ organisations.

The areas to be discussed will include, among others, development of more effective safety policies, design and maintenance of road infrastructure, and promotion of compliance with traffic rules. 

A long-term commitment to road safety

The safe ride to the future builds on previous safety initiatives such as ACEM members’ commitment to voluntarily fit all of their new vehicles with automatic headlamps on, the signing of the European Road Safety Charter and the decision to fit 75% of street motorcycle models with an advanced braking systems as an option or as standard fitting by 2015, in advance of respective regulatory requirements.

Documents available to download

ACEM road safety strategy - Executive summary [pdf]

ACEM road safety strategy - full version [pdf]

Chapter 1 - Vehicle technologies [pdf]

Chapter 2 - Intelligent transport systems [pdf]

Chapter 3 - European training label [pdf]

Chapter 4 - Conclusions and policy recommendations [pdf]

 

A total of 1,103,300 powered two wheelers (PTWs) were registered during the first eleven months of 2014 in the EU. This represents an increase of 1.4% compared with the 1,087,600 units registered between January and November 2013. 

The statistical release in pdf format can be downloaded here.

A total of 1,103,300 PTWs were registered during the first ten months of 2014 in the EU. This represents an increase of 1.4% compared to the 1,087,600 units registered between January and November 2013.

The Spanish, the UK and the German markets performed positively, with registrations increasing by 16.6%, 10.5% and 2.3% respectively. Registrations went down in France and Italy (-1.2% and -1.7% respectively).

Between January and November 2014, registrations in the motorcycle segment grew by 6.9% compared to the same period in the previous year. A total of 774,100 motorcycles were registered against 724,000 for the first eleven months of 2013. Year-on-year motorcycle registrations increased in key European markets including Spain (+20.2%), UK (+12.1%), Germany (+8.4%), France (+3.5%), and Italy (+1.3%).

Moped registrations sales continued to decrease. Between January and November 2014, a total of 329,200 mopeds were registered in the EU, whilst 363,500 had been registered in the same period of 2013. This represents a decrease of 9.4%. Registrations fell by 1.6% in the UK, 5.5% in Spain, 8.1% in France, 15.6% in Italy and 16.9% in Germany.

The full release in pdf format is available here. 

APCO, the Association of Chief Police Officers, and MCIA, the UK motorcycle industry association, have launched a landmark policy document to encourage greater use of motorcycles on UK roads, which should improve road safety as a result.

The strategic document, jointly devised by police and industry, explains how safety for motorcyclists can be further improved with government support.

APCO, the Association of Chief Police Officers, and MCIA, the UK motorcycle industry association, have launched a landmark policy document to encourage greater use of motorcycles on UK roads, which should improve road safety as a result.

The new strategic document, titled Realising the Motorcycling Opportunity, was jointly devised by police and industry, in response to the slowdown of reductions in rider casualties. Though rider safety has improved considerably since 2000, road safety for motorcyclists could be further improved with government support.

The document calls for motorcycles to be included in mainstream transport policy and sets out a framework of practical recommendations addressing how this might be achieved. The report also explains why two-wheeled transport offers an effective antidote to traffic congestion.

Commenting on this major initiative Deputy Chief Constable Tim Madgwick, Motorcycling Lead for the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said: “Through this joint work, we hope to make some sustained changes to see improvements for motorcycle safety and a greater recognition of the wider impacts of increased powered two-wheeler use.

Steve Baker MP, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Motorcycle Group, which is hosting the Parliamentary Reception, gave a personal view of why motorcycles should be encouraged: “If we want to reduce congestion and improve the quality of people’s lives, we need to embrace all forms of two-wheeled transport. This document gives a clear framework as to how that can be achieved while improving safety for all road users”.

A pdf version of Realising the Motorcycling Opportunity can be downloaded here.

The MCIA/APCO press release is available here.

For more information please contact Stevie Muir +44 (0)7989 378597 or email  

The latest edition of the EICMA international motorcycle exhibition show in Milan attracted more than 628,000 visitors between the 6 and 9 November. Compared with the previous year, this represents a 14.7% increase (the 2013 EICMA edition had already seen an increase of 8% compared to the 2012 edition).