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European Transport Safety Council Unveils EU Road Safety Trends

July 11, 2009 - Some 39,000 people were killed in road collisions in 2008 in the EU27, 15,400 less than in 2001 but still far from the 27,000 deaths limit which set by the EU as a target for 2010.

The average annual reduction since 2001 has been only 4.4% instead of the 7.4% needed. This could delay the EU in reaching the target until 2017. During its annual PIN conference held in Brussels on June 22, ETSC analyzed EU and national performance in road safety.

After a particularly bad 2007, 2008 saw a promising decrease in road deaths by 8.5%, which was the best year-to-year reduction since 2001. Estonia (-33%), Lithuania (-33%), Slovenia (-27%) and Latvia (-25%) achieved the best reductions in 2008 but still have some of the highest road death rates in the EU.

In 2008, for the first time ever, the EU10 achieved the same year-on-year percentage reduction in road deaths as the EU15. The reduction in road deaths in 2008 can be partly attributed to reduced traffic volume following the recent economic recession and relatively high petrol prices earlier in the year.

The Baltic States and Hungary were particularly affected, and the UK, France and Germany to a lesser extent. Over the period 2001-2008, best results have been achieved by countries with a medium level of safety.

Luxembourg, France and Portugal, already the top three for their progress up to 2007, keep their leading position with outstanding reductions of 49%, 48% and 47% respectively up to 2008.

Spain and Latvia are catching up with reduction of more than 43% for which they have been recognized with the “2009 Road Safety PIN Award” at the Conference. Belgium with 38% resumed in 2008 the good progress it was making early in the decade.

Good progress was also made by countries with a longer tradition of road safety such as Germany (-36%), Switzerland (-34%), the Netherlands (-31%) and Sweden (-28%). In Romania and Bulgaria, however, the number of road deaths was higher in 2008 than in 2001. Slovakia and Poland have not made any substantial progress.

Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK remain the safest European countries for road traffic, behind Malta.

Switzerland and Norway have been among the frontrunners in Europe for some time and Germany is close on the heels of the leading group. Ireland, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Portugal and Belgium all used to be underperformers, but now have a medium level of road safety.

Disparity in road death rates across Europe has decreased since 2001, and in 2008 there was no longer any EU country with more than 150 road deaths per million inhabitants.

Despite individual countries’ progress, the EU as a whole is likely to fail to reach its 2010 Target. “The EU15, which originally set the target, might halve the number of deaths with only two years’ delay”, said Graziella Jost, PIN Program Manager. “But for the EU27 reaching the target on time appears unrealistic, since it would require an annual reduction of 17% in both 2009 and 2010.”

“It is high time for the EU to come forward with a new Road Safety Action Program for the next decade,” said ETSC Executive Director Antonio Avenoso. “New targets must be set for 2020 which will mobilize action at a joint European level, and more EU instruments, like structural funds for transport, should be used in order to further bring down deaths and disabilities on our roads.”

2009 Mondial du Deux Roues show cancelled

July 12, 2009 - The 2009 Mondial du Deux Roues motorcycle and scooter show in Paris, the largest in France, has been cancelled. This is the first such cancellation in the show's history.

The 2007 show recorded 383,500 visitors with over 800 brands on display. Organizers say the show is likely to be rescheduled for 2010. Difficult economic conditions are the cause for the cancellation as "required standards for running the show would not be met".

First "Clean Emissions Grand Prix "

July 12, 2009 - The world's first clean emission motorcycle Grand Prix took place on 12 June around the world-famous TT course on the Isle of Man. The high performance electric bikes were entered from all around the world and included machines from Germany, the U.S., India, the U.K. and a number of universities worldwide.

Participants agreed that the Isle of Man track is the toughest and best course to develop a product for the mass market. Next year's event will be two laps long, with a pit stop to change batteries.

By hosting the world's first clean emission Grand Prix for motorcycles TTXGP organizers intended to break ground for zero-carbon racing. Following the success of the TTXGP race the FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) has decided to create a FIM Series for electric bikes in 2010.

Also, The Piaggio MP3 Hybrid made its debut at the G8 Summit. The Piaggio MP3 Hybrid is an innovative three-wheeled scooter with a environmentally friendly hybrid engine.

It was launched in L’Aquila on the occasion of the 2009 G8 Summit. The personnel of the Civil Protection (Police) were issued ten MP3 Hybrid preceding the release on the market of this PTW.

The legendary Vespa scooter will also be on exhibition amongst other objects celebrating “Italy's creative vein, its capacity for invention and its flair for sheer know-how”.

The Vespa is considered a symbol not only of the Piaggio Group, but for Italian design and industry as well, with over 17 million units manufactured since 1946, and over 100,000 units sold every year.

NHTSA Requests Feedback on Amber Turn Signals

May 15, 2009 - The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is requesting feedback on it's report, "The Effectiveness of Amber Rear Turn Signals for Reducing Rear Impacts".

NHTSA is requesting comments regarding the effectiveness of amber rear turn signals for reducing rear impacts.

Note that this report does not specifically mention motorcycles, but the visibility of vehicle turn signals affects all road users, including motorcyclists.

The U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108 currently allows either red or amber rear turn signals. The purpose of the new report is to determine whether color has a significant impact on the likelihood of rear-end crashes.

NHTSA’s conclusion was that amber turn signals are 5.3% more effective than red turn signals at preventing involvement in two-car crashes where a lead vehicle is rear-struck in the act of turning left or right, merging into traffic, changing lanes or entering or leaving a parking space.

One quote from the report says that "Two analyses of crash data report that amber turn signals are approximately 20 percent more effective than red turn signals at preventing vehicles from being rear-ended while performing a maneuver that typically involves signaling. One study did not find a statistically significant difference between red and amber turn signals. There has been no research presented that is in favor of rear turn signals being red."

The study was designed around passenger vehicles that had switched rear turn signal color. The report is available here in .pdf format. Comments must be submitted by September 6, 2009. The request for comments was published in the May 11, 2009 Federal Register, Vol. 74, No. 89, pages 21850-21851.

To submit comments, identified by Docket Number NHTSA-2009-0095, visit the Federal Rulemaking Portal and follow the online instructions for submitting comments.

Our feeling on this has been stated before: "One light, one function". In other words, signal and brake light functions should not be combined. So a brake light should not also function as a turn signal, and this goes for color also.

We support amber-colored lights for turn signals; this would mean, for example, that a vehicle that is stopped with the brake lights on making a turn will have a separate amber turn signal that is blinking. The difference in colors makes the intent of the vehicle much more readily apparent and increases safety for all other road users.

Italy Announces New Motorcycle Purchase Incentives

February 26, 2009 - The Italian Government, in an effort to support the industry and resist a decline in consumption levels, implemented an incentive of 500 € for replacing any Euro 0 or Euro 1 motorbike with a new Euro 3 vehicle under 400cc.

In January, "powered two-wheeler" registrations fell by -38.8% in Italy when compared to the previous year. ANCMA, the Italian association representing motorcycle manufacturers, importers and the linked industry, reported a -38.6% in the scooter segment and -35.4% in the motorcycle sector while the moped was the most vulnerable category, losing 43.6%.

ANCMA welcomed the incentives as a valuable tool to accelerate the renewal of the circulating park with new low emitting and more fuel efficient vehicles. (Source: ACEM)

UPDATE: April 24, 2009 - The incentives policy devised for the PTW industry triggererd a +7.8% rise in March.

March brought a major reversal in trend for sales in Italy with 49,682 units (+7.8%) over the same month in 2008. In particular, registrations totaled 42,725 units, corresponding to an improvement of 14.6%.

From a detailed analysis of the various segments, however, we find that while scooters grew significantly, with 29,542 units (+35,5%), motorcycles continued to decline, albeit to a lesser extent compared to the first two months of the year, with 13,183 vehicles (-14.8%).

50cc units continued to suffer, in the absence of an incentive program, with 6,957 units (-21.1%). In the first quarter of 2009, we are still ca 14,000 registrations (-15.5%) and 8,000 mopeds (-34%) short.

Europeans Goals for Advanced Brake Systems and Environment

December 23, 2008 - ACEM, the motorcycle industry association of Europe, is promoting several strategic measures "that will allow the motorcycle industry to respond to society's most urgent demands", according to Jacques Compagne, the ACEM Secretary General.

"As we are confident that our first goal of fitting 50% of PTWs (powered two-wheelers) with advanced braking systems will be obtained by 2010, we have strengthened our commitment to road safety and pledged to reach a second, more ambitious and significant result: by 2015, 75% of PTWs will be offered on the market with advanced braking systems as an option".

Regarding the environment and motorcycle emissions controls, ACEM proposed a roadmap towards parity with cars.

A Euro 4 stage would be implemented in 2012, entailing a 25% reduction over Euro 3 in tailpipe emissions for motorcycles, and in 2015, ACEM proposes to attain Euro 5, which would mean a further 25% reduction in tailpipe emissions for motorcycles and which would achieve the goal of emissions parity with Euro 5 gasoline passenger cars.

Dollar Strengthens Against European Currencies

December 5, 2008 - If you purchased a motorcycle helmet or other gear from Europe or the UK in the beginning of 2008, you were probably shocked at the poor exchange rate.

Back in January of 2008, a British Pound cost about $1.98 USD. Today that same Pound costs "only" $1.48, a drop of about 34%, according to the XE.com currency exchange website.

A Euro would have cost about $1.47 USD in January of 2008 but it now goes for roughly $1.27, a 16% decrease.

So that Schuberth R1 that cost about £360.00 would have set you back a breathtaking $713.00 USD in January (not including shipping). But it now costs about $533.00, a difference of $180.00 USD!

But wait: the currency fluctuations and the global recession have reduced some prices even more, and retailers are marking down their existing stock. That same R1 is now on sale for £324.00 (graphics) and £279.00 (solids) at Designer Helmets. Meaning that a solid color R1 now costs roughly $413.00 USD (not including shipping).

Note that exchange rates can change by the minute, and there will probably be a lag time and difference in what the credit card company or the retailer charges. So be sure to check all the prices and transactions first; understand the shipping and duty fees (if any) and how the exchange rates will be transacted.

But the bottom line is that this may be the best time in years to buy that hard-to-find European motorcycle gear!

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2009 and Beyond Motorcycle Rumors

August 21, 2008 - Lots of news on the motorcycle front, with Honda leaking a story of a very nice-looking and ultra-tech VFR 1000cc V5, using a modified MotoGP engine with Variable Cylinder Management, a paddle shifter and brake-by-wire ABS. Rumours say the VFR will be released at the Honda 60th Anniversary in September.

Honda has confirmed that all of its motorcycles will soon have ABS as standard, so every other motorbike manufacturer on the planet will probably follow soon after. Good news or not?

Meanwhile, more rumours say the retro Honda CB1100RR will be released for production in 2010, along with the standard CB1100 retro. And finally, busy Honda will also release a very nice-looking new 250; unfortunately, it looks identical to a Ducati Ducati Monster 696!

Perhaps in response, Ducati is said to be working on a new Monster S4 based on the Monster 696, but with the 1098 engine.

BMW is also rumoured to be working on a new scooter with roof to replace the before-its-time C1; they also plan on releasing F 800 R and F 800 S street versions of Chris Pfeiffer's stunt bike.

New Study Shows Motorcycle Helmet Law Repeal Caused Fatalities

June 25, 2008 - Two University of Pittsburgh researchers have published a new study in the most recent edition of the American Journal of Public Health. It is entitled “Changes in Motorcycle-Related Head Injury Deaths, Hospitalizations, and Hospital Charges Following Repeal of Pennsylvania’s Mandatory Motorcycle Helmet Law,” and it is available for a small fee from the American Journal of Public Health.

The researchers are Kristen J. Mertz of the University of Pittsburgh, Graduate School of Public Health and Harold B. Weiss, University of Pittsburgh, Center for Injury Research and Control.

The study found that after the 2003 repeal of Pennsylvania’s motorcycle helmet law, helmet use by riders involved in reportable crashes decreased from 82 percent in 2001–2002 to 58 percent after the repeal (2004–2005).

Motorcycle-related head injury deaths increased 66 percent, whereas non-head injury deaths increased 25 percent. In addition, motorcycle head injury hospitalizations increased 78 percent compared with 28 percent for non-head injury hospitalizations.

These data were obtained from Pennsylvania’s Departments of Health and Transportation. Researchers suggest that the repeal was most likely responsible for the relatively large increase in head injuries and that this study is significant for two main reasons.

First, it used population-based hospital discharge data compiled from all acute care hospitals in the state, whereas the majority of previous studies of post-repeal changes in motorcycle-related hospitalizations include data only from selected trauma centers. Second, the researchers attempted to control for non-helmet factors by comparing changes in head injuries to non-head injuries.

“Data alone, however, are not sufficient to reverse helmet law repeal; many states maintain repeals despite multiple studies showing increases in deaths, injuries and costs. Until life-saving mandatory helmet policies are reinstated, voluntary helmet use programs should be developed and evaluated,” the study’s authors recommended.

Abstract: "To evaluate the 2003 repeal of Pennsylvania’s motorcycle helmet law, we assessed changes in helmet use and compared motorcycle-related head injuries with non-head injuries from 2001–2002 to 2004–2005.

Helmet use among riders in crashes decreased from 82% to 58%. Head injury deaths increased 66%; non-head injury deaths increased 25%.

Motorcycle-related head injury hospitalizations increased 78% compared with 28% for non-head injury hospitalizations. Helmet law repeals jeopardize motorcycle riders. Until repeals are reversed, states need voluntary strategies to increase helmet use."