Fresh EU plans announced yesterday could mean super-MoT, roadside spot checks for bikes and further restrictions on bike modification.
The European Commission has just launched an internet consultation on Periodic Technical Inspections (PTI) for motor vehicles and their trailers.
The consultation envisages harsh and costly new measures that go far beyond the current MoT system familiar to riders across the UK, including:
* road-side spot-checks specifically for motorcycles
* inspection of after-sale upgrades, replacement parts and modifications
* EU member states to swap information about individual vehicles
* additional inspections whenever the vehicle changes hands
* increased test fees (up to 30% extra)
* all EU countries to adopt the harshest test conditions currently found in any member state.
Nich Brown, General Secretary of MAG(UK), said “the scope of this consultation confirms that the EU is contemplating a draconian and expensive burden on riders. All riders need to act now to challenge the potential excesses of yet another pan-European system that fails to meet the needs of individual nations.”
The Commission say they are inviting comment from citizens as well as organisations and public authorities from all EU member states. But whilst the consultation questionnaire allows for individuals and organisations to vote for more sensible options, the only way to respond appears to be via an online form that has hardly been designed to let the rider’s voice be clearly heard. For example, the consultation question asking what category of vehicle you usually drive gives no option to say motorcycle - only ‘none of the above’.
The usual suspicions about the questionnaire design abound, for example riders and drivers are asked if they have been involved in a road accident or vehicle breakdown, but not whether any accident or breakdown was caused by a vehicle defect that might be detected in the super-MoT or by a roadside spot-check.
The EU and national Governments are said to be “at one in wishing to ensure that the EU Single Market works as efficiently as possible and that the administrative burden is reduced, in the interests of citizens.” The irony of this statement is that were the most extreme of the options to be adopted almost every EU citizen with a vehicle would face a far greater burden than they do now.
The other main policy objectives are reducing the number and severity of road accidents and to reduce emissions from road vehicles. Official statistics indicate that just 1% of motorcycle crashes in Great Britain involve a vehicle defect, whilst pan-European research suggests similarly low figures elsewhere, even in countries that have no periodic inspection.
This suggests there may be relatively little benefit from the current UK system based on annual MoT testing and certainly does not provide a strong argument for tightening MoT controls or introducing road side checks.
The European Union is asking riders and others to vote on what should be done:
Option 1: No change.
Option 2: Encourage agreements and exchange of information between Member States, but no new legislation.
Option 3: Mutual recognition of national tests, an information campaign in countries where the test quality is thought to be low and exchange of best practices among countries
NB: All of the above options suggest the UK could keep its MoT system more-or-less as we know it.
Option 4: Impose through EU legislation a harmonised system of PTI based on either a) the ‘Most Rigorous’, b) the ‘Medium Quality’ or c) the ‘Least Rigorous’ of the current national tests.
MAG supports the pan-European campaign for individual countries to continue to determine their own national requirements for vehicle testing. The campaign by dozens of riders groups across the EU is being coordinated by the Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations *http://www.fema-online.eu/index.php?page=rwt*
The Motorcycle Action Group says that the best way to achieve this, and to defend against moves toward harmonisation around the most draconian form of testing, is for riders and their representative groups to support Option 1.
The consultation runs for less than one month, until 24th September 2010, via the EU official website http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=roadworthiness
Showing posts with label safety nazis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label safety nazis. Show all posts
Friday, 3 September 2010
Tuesday, 15 December 2009
Motorcycle Action Group comments on the initiative by Sussex police on high visibility clothing
From the el Presidente of the Motorcycle Action Group(MAG) sent to the Sussex Police force regarding their policy of enforcing cloting rules on motorcyclists!
"I have read that Sussex police are stopping motorcyclists who are spotted riding without reflective clothing. An article in the weekly ‘Motorcycle News’ states that police officers are providing advice on the use of reflective items, handing the riders reflective vests which they are urged to wear, and checking their bikes for roadworthiness.
As a body that exists to represent the interests of motorcyclists we are concerned that riders are being stopped on the highway when they are doing nothing wrong and implicitly told that their behaviour falls short of what is deemed appropriate.
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) is concerned that a tactic whose value in reducing road accidents is unproven, is being promoted in a way that does not appear to reflect the uncertainties and sensitivities that surround this issue.
MAG is uncomfortable with the implicit suggestion that riders are partially to blame when involved in accidents with motorists who claim not to have seen them. MAG has a philosophic commitment to free choice over the clothing style and standards which riders adopt and so we view any attempt to coerce riders into a code of clothing conduct as worrying.
MAG remains sceptical of drivers’ claims of not seeing motorcyclists. It seems reasonable to speculate that no driver at the scene of a typical intersection accident would admit to seeing a motorcycle but pulling out anyway in the belief that there was enough time to complete the manoeuvre. MAG believes that the issue of ‘unseen’ motorcycles is more complex than many think. Moreover there is concern that riders who wear reflective kit believe themselves to be more visible to motorists in all circumstances and subconsciously ride less defensively in consequence, sometimes with tragic consequences.
As the road safety debate has evolved to a more sophisticated level, the aspects of human behaviour I have mentioned here are enjoying more serious consideration, certainly the phenomenon of risk compensation is pretty much now universally accepted as axiomatic.
Against this background your initiative, though obviously well motivated, appears conspicuously simplistic and worrying inasmuch as it shifts the onus of responsibility to the rider’s detriment. We would value your comments on these observations and hope that you will take this letter as an invitation to an ongoing dialogue in pursuit of enhanced road safety for all road users.
I wonder in conclusion if you would consider an operation that involves stopping motorists for random roadside eyesight checks? Operation spectacle perhaps?"
Ian Mutch
MAG President
Information: Ian Mutch theroad@mag-uk.org
"I have read that Sussex police are stopping motorcyclists who are spotted riding without reflective clothing. An article in the weekly ‘Motorcycle News’ states that police officers are providing advice on the use of reflective items, handing the riders reflective vests which they are urged to wear, and checking their bikes for roadworthiness.
As a body that exists to represent the interests of motorcyclists we are concerned that riders are being stopped on the highway when they are doing nothing wrong and implicitly told that their behaviour falls short of what is deemed appropriate.
The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) is concerned that a tactic whose value in reducing road accidents is unproven, is being promoted in a way that does not appear to reflect the uncertainties and sensitivities that surround this issue.
MAG is uncomfortable with the implicit suggestion that riders are partially to blame when involved in accidents with motorists who claim not to have seen them. MAG has a philosophic commitment to free choice over the clothing style and standards which riders adopt and so we view any attempt to coerce riders into a code of clothing conduct as worrying.
MAG remains sceptical of drivers’ claims of not seeing motorcyclists. It seems reasonable to speculate that no driver at the scene of a typical intersection accident would admit to seeing a motorcycle but pulling out anyway in the belief that there was enough time to complete the manoeuvre. MAG believes that the issue of ‘unseen’ motorcycles is more complex than many think. Moreover there is concern that riders who wear reflective kit believe themselves to be more visible to motorists in all circumstances and subconsciously ride less defensively in consequence, sometimes with tragic consequences.
As the road safety debate has evolved to a more sophisticated level, the aspects of human behaviour I have mentioned here are enjoying more serious consideration, certainly the phenomenon of risk compensation is pretty much now universally accepted as axiomatic.
Against this background your initiative, though obviously well motivated, appears conspicuously simplistic and worrying inasmuch as it shifts the onus of responsibility to the rider’s detriment. We would value your comments on these observations and hope that you will take this letter as an invitation to an ongoing dialogue in pursuit of enhanced road safety for all road users.
I wonder in conclusion if you would consider an operation that involves stopping motorists for random roadside eyesight checks? Operation spectacle perhaps?"
Ian Mutch
MAG President
Information: Ian Mutch theroad@mag-uk.org
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Biker jailed for 166mph is mad BUT
MAG condemns the madness of the biker convicted of riding at 166mph on an A road in Scotland – BUT – asks if the law is failing in its commitment to be consistent and proportionate in sentencing.
MAG notes that the nine month prison sentence is poignantly identical to that recently handed down to a motorist who caused an accident which resulted in the death of a motorcyclist and injury to his son.
MAG President Ian Mutch said:
‘Traveling at 166mph on any A road is lunatic behavior but lunacy cannot be the sole factor in determining sentencing policy. For the law to be recognised as just it must be consistent and I suspect that the magistrates in this case have let outrage blind them to that responsibility.’
He added,
‘Let’s be crystal clear about this. Traveling at astronomic speed on public roads warrants serious sentencing BUT if nine months is deemed appropriate for a rider traveling at high speed but hurting no one then a driver whose hazardous behavior causes death should surely deserve a higher penalty. Magistrates should be accountable for major discrepancies in sentencing or the law loses respect.’
For further information
Contact Ian Mutch
theroad@mag-uk.org
The Motorcycle Action Group – Protecting motorcycling
MAG notes that the nine month prison sentence is poignantly identical to that recently handed down to a motorist who caused an accident which resulted in the death of a motorcyclist and injury to his son.
MAG President Ian Mutch said:
‘Traveling at 166mph on any A road is lunatic behavior but lunacy cannot be the sole factor in determining sentencing policy. For the law to be recognised as just it must be consistent and I suspect that the magistrates in this case have let outrage blind them to that responsibility.’
He added,
‘Let’s be crystal clear about this. Traveling at astronomic speed on public roads warrants serious sentencing BUT if nine months is deemed appropriate for a rider traveling at high speed but hurting no one then a driver whose hazardous behavior causes death should surely deserve a higher penalty. Magistrates should be accountable for major discrepancies in sentencing or the law loses respect.’
For further information
Contact Ian Mutch
theroad@mag-uk.org
The Motorcycle Action Group – Protecting motorcycling
Monday, 20 April 2009
Criminal compensation
The Motorcycle Action Group has launched an e petition on the 10 Downing St site to challenge over zealous police reaction to alleged risks at motorcycle events.
The petition follows a parliamentary question on the subject that MAG member Lembit Opik MP tabled in Parliament earlier this year.
MAG is concerned by the apparent enthusiasm displayed for closing events on the basis of information about criminal intent which police are not obliged to share with event organisers.
MAG President Ian Mutch said, ‘I suspect that the police are themselves victims of a health and safety culture which is leading them to pick the safe option of closing events to avoid becoming targets of criticism if something goes wrong.’
‘It is intolerable that event organisers should face financial ruin because of factors that are not of their making. We feel that if organisers are eligible for compensation under such circumstances then pressure may be exerted on the police which could restore balance to a situation which appears to be getting out of control.’
The petition reads as follows:
Criminal compensation
Compensate fully the innocent organisers of public events where police have achieved cancellation based on undisclosed 'intelligence received' regarding the potential criminal actions of parties unrelated to the event organiser.
To sign the petition, go here:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Eventsatrisk/
MAG-UK
The petition follows a parliamentary question on the subject that MAG member Lembit Opik MP tabled in Parliament earlier this year.
MAG is concerned by the apparent enthusiasm displayed for closing events on the basis of information about criminal intent which police are not obliged to share with event organisers.
MAG President Ian Mutch said, ‘I suspect that the police are themselves victims of a health and safety culture which is leading them to pick the safe option of closing events to avoid becoming targets of criticism if something goes wrong.’
‘It is intolerable that event organisers should face financial ruin because of factors that are not of their making. We feel that if organisers are eligible for compensation under such circumstances then pressure may be exerted on the police which could restore balance to a situation which appears to be getting out of control.’
The petition reads as follows:
Criminal compensation
Compensate fully the innocent organisers of public events where police have achieved cancellation based on undisclosed 'intelligence received' regarding the potential criminal actions of parties unrelated to the event organiser.
To sign the petition, go here:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Eventsatrisk/
MAG-UK
Monday, 30 March 2009
Blanket 50 MPH Limit on 'A 'Roads !?!?
The proposal to introduce a blanket 50mph limit on 'A' roads is yet
another knee jerk response that fails to recognise the nature of the
problem it seeks to address, says The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG).
Latest official figures show that staying within a speed limit, but
going too fast for the immediate conditions, leads to more than 5% of
all recorded collisions, which is more of a problem for society than
exceeding the speed limit, a factor in just 3% of collisions.
Like the other 40% of collisions involving an error of judgement or poor
reaction, there is more to be gained by addressing vehicle drivers’
attitudes and skills than dumbing down speed limits to the lowest level
the DfT thinks it can get away with.
When speed limits are reduced below levels which make sense to people,
they tend to ignore them and treat other limits with disrespect. MAG
President Ian Mutch said "For some people there is a seductive
attraction to the idea of ratcheting down speed limits on the assumption
that the slower everyone goes the safer they must be. This logic fails
to recognise reality or to find the best balance between reasonable
expectations for mobility and safety. For motorcyclists, the main causes
of death and injury lie with other vehicle drivers' and poor road
surfaces, the government must deal with these issues and not look for
smokescreens such as a 50mph blanket speed limit."
Further information: Ian Mutch 020 8556 6495 theroad@mag-uk.org
Nich Brown: 01788 570066 nich.brown@mag-uk.org
The Motorcycle Action Group – Protecting motorcycling
another knee jerk response that fails to recognise the nature of the
problem it seeks to address, says The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG).
Latest official figures show that staying within a speed limit, but
going too fast for the immediate conditions, leads to more than 5% of
all recorded collisions, which is more of a problem for society than
exceeding the speed limit, a factor in just 3% of collisions.
Like the other 40% of collisions involving an error of judgement or poor
reaction, there is more to be gained by addressing vehicle drivers’
attitudes and skills than dumbing down speed limits to the lowest level
the DfT thinks it can get away with.
When speed limits are reduced below levels which make sense to people,
they tend to ignore them and treat other limits with disrespect. MAG
President Ian Mutch said "For some people there is a seductive
attraction to the idea of ratcheting down speed limits on the assumption
that the slower everyone goes the safer they must be. This logic fails
to recognise reality or to find the best balance between reasonable
expectations for mobility and safety. For motorcyclists, the main causes
of death and injury lie with other vehicle drivers' and poor road
surfaces, the government must deal with these issues and not look for
smokescreens such as a 50mph blanket speed limit."
Further information: Ian Mutch 020 8556 6495 theroad@mag-uk.org
Nich Brown: 01788 570066 nich.brown@mag-uk.org
The Motorcycle Action Group – Protecting motorcycling
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