From 1 January 2022 Denmark will introduce roadside inspections of motorcycles instead of periodic inspections. There will be severe fines for motorcycles exceeding noise limits.

On Tuesday 21 December 2021 a majority in the Danish parliament voted to pass the so-called law on roadside inspections of motorcycles. It gives the Danish Transport Authority “access to carry out roadside checks of motorcycles’ technical condition and whether they make too much noise,” according to a press release from the Danish ministry of transport.

From 1 January 2022, motorcycles are covered by the rules on periodic inspections under the Periodic Inspection Directive. Parliament has decided that the EU rules must be implemented with random checks at the roadside rather than all motorcycles being inspected. This also ensures that motorcycles with an illegal and noisy exhaust cannot switch to legal equipment before the inspection.

“Noise from motorcycles is a problem. Now the Danish Transport Authority has the opportunity to make roadside checks of motorcycles, and I expect that the new effective control tool combined with high fines will reduce the number of noisy motorcycles. At the same time, it has been important for me to find a solution on implementing EU rules so that it becomes less intrusive for motorcycle owners than requiring regular periodic inspections,” said transport minister Benny Engelbrecht.

According to the ministry of transport, it is a known problem that there is unnecessary noise from motorcycles, which is often due to the motorcycle being equipped with an illegal exhaust. It is experienced by many as enormously annoying when motorcycles make more noise than allowed. The law, which enters into force on 1 January 2022, now gives the Danish Transport Authority access to carry out roadside checks on the technical condition of motorcycles and whether they make too much noise, as an effective alternative measure for periodic inspections.

The Danish Transport Authority will investigate whether the motorcycle complies with the applicable noise requirements and requirements for the technical condition. Today, different noise requirements apply depending on the age and type of motorcycle, such as veteran motorcycles, and that will still be the case.

When a motorcycle exceeds the legal noise limits, high fines can be the result. The guideline for a fine is DKK 2,500 for first-time cases. The amount of the fine then increases:

1st time: DKK 2,500 (€336,21)
2nd time: DKK 5,500 (€739,66)
3rd time: DKK 8,000 (€1075,87)
4th time: DKK 11,500 (€1546,56)
5th time: DKK 14,500 (€1950,01)
6th time: DKK 17,500 (€2353,46)

Written by Wim Taal

Top photograph courtesy of 26thmeu.marines.mil

Sources: Danish ministry of transport & MCTC

This article is subject to FEMA’s copyright