LEZ’s: you can’t just ride your motorcycle wherever you like Blogs August 24, 2018September 11, 2018 All over Europe we see low emission zones (LEZ's) emerging. FEMA’s Dolf Willigers looks into the issue from a motorcyclists’ point of view. Low emission zones, not to be confused with congestion zones where you have to pay a toll to enter a city, are popping up all over Europe to
Sound is a sensitive issue in our motorcycle world Blogs July 9, 2018December 10, 2020 FEMA’s Dolf Willigers looks at sound this time and describes the legal issues. With the implementation of the Euro 4 standards, both the limit and the testing methods have changed. Sound is becoming an important issue and with the way some manufacturers deal with aftermarket silencers, we could face a
How to improve the way our road’s grip is measured Blogs June 18, 2018October 22, 2019 FEMA’s Dolf Willigers explains why the current way of measuring the road’s grip is not good enough for motorcycles. Some years ago, as part of a North-European tour I made that year, I rode quietly with my wife riding pillion on secondary roads from Gdansk to the small city of Inowroclaw
The Third Mobility Package can improve European motorcyclists’ road safety Blogs May 24, 2018September 12, 2018 After the first and second Mobility Packages, the European Commission completes the process of delivering a new industrial policy strategy on mobility with the publication of the Third Mobility Package. On the 17th of May, the European Commission published the Third Mobility Package. This communication concerns road transport and is called
Will European measures mean more safety for motorcyclists? Blogs April 18, 2018April 24, 2018 The latest figures show that road safety is not really improving in Europe; since 2013 the number of casualties is not declining anymore and 2016 even showed a rise in both fatalities and serious injuries. Road safety is not seen as an important subject in Brussels’ circles and especially not road
How can we make our roads safer for motorcyclists? Blogs January 5, 2018January 8, 2018 While infrastructure should be safe for every road user, in practise it becomes clear that our roads are designed and maintained from a car drivers’ perspective. FEMA’s Dolf Willigers asks ‘How about us?’ Nowadays much of my time is spent on infrastructure. Last year I had the opportunity to attend a
Motorcycles beat public transport every time Blogs November 1, 2017November 1, 2017 The fact that policymakers do not see motorcycles as a serious alternative for public transport is a missed opportunity, says FEMA’s Dolf Willigers. In recent times, the theme of transport in and around the city (‘urban mobility’) came back repeatedly in my work for FEMA. Last summer I wrote about the
How organized motorcyclists can improve your life Blogs October 25, 2017October 25, 2017 A small Italian example why you shouldn't underestimate the power of organized local motorcyclists... Students at a technical college in Verona were fined for parking their motorcycles outside of the school. With 900 students, the school only had four parking spaces for motorcycles and other powered two-wheelers. The Italian motorcyclists' organization Comitato
Road safety, an ongoing challenge Blogs May 12, 2017May 12, 2017 Dolf Willigers, FEMA’s general secretary, writes about his work in Brussels, representing European motorcyclists. The nicest part of my job is that it is all about motorcycling. And when I have to go somewhere, to a meeting in Brussels or elsewhere, naturally I use the motorcycle. Not only because it´s more
FEMA works to make driver assistance systems safe for motorcycles Blogs March 23, 2017May 2, 2018 A car that looks and often even acts for you; the technology is available, but does that car pay enough attention to motorcyclists? In a world where it is hard to keep up with the pace of innovation of modern, (semi-)autonomous cars and where several governments are working hard to be