For some motorcyclists noise is a source of pleasure, for others it is a guarantee of safety, stating that ‘loud pipes save lives’. Motorcycle journalist Chloé Gaillard has a different opinion. Ah, noise… An old debate among riders. And more and more, when it is excessive, a significant nuisance for other
Opinion pieces
Corona crisis: Greece has turned to motorcycles
‘For substantial, fast and efficient transportation there is one solution: motorcycles.’ FEMA veteran Thomas Kakadiaris looks at motorcycling during the coronavirus crisis from a Greek perspective. For years, a large number of traffic experts and traffic planners have made clear their support for public transport, often supporting policies which neglect powered
UPDATED: Lisa from Sweden wants to ride, but ‘the system’ won’t let her
The motorcycle is here to stay
It is easy for 'outsiders' to be negative about motorcyling, but we at FEMA have a different view. FEMA's Dolf Willigers about the continuing success story of motorcycling. Motorcycles play an important role in our society. Many people use motorcycles for commuting and leisure, professionals use them to do their work.
Acoustic cameras: do we want big brother to measure motorcycle sound?
New on our streets: ‘acoustic cameras’ or sound enforcement cameras, a combination of several microphones and a camera, designed to register and fine vehicles that produce excessive noise. When the sound equipment measures a sound level that is over the limit and recognizes the source (that’s why it has to have
Is motorcycling expensive?
According to a recently published study for the European Commission, motorcycles are by far the most expensive way of road transport for our society. FEMA's Dolf Willigers questions the research. So if we ask 'is motorcycling expensive?', don’t look at your own motorcycle and your own wallet now. This is not
Will electric vehicles really take over any time soon?
This summer the automotive websites suddenly exploded with articles about the fall-out of the Volkswagen diesel scandal: Daimler had a massive recall of diesel cars, cities and even countries announced that in ten to fifteen years they would only admit electric vehicles. India, with three million new vehicles every year,
‘The motor vehicle tax regime in the UK creates a failure of trust’
MAG UK director Ian Churchlow wrote an opinion piece on the motorcycle taxation system in the United Kingdom. Ian Churchlow is also MAG UK's delegate to FEMA. My friend Andy and I were discussing the concept of fairness when it comes to the governments’ environmental taxation policy on motor vehicles. Our conversation
Will self-driving cars see motorcycles?
Motorcycle safety and accidents in Europe
In recent years, about 25,000 motorcyclists (m/f) have participated in surveys about motorcycle safety and accidents commissioned by FEMA and Dutch organization MAG. This is a summary report by Harold de Bock (MAG). Subjects include: How dangerous is it to ride a motorcycle in the various individual European countries? What are