The Danish minister for transport suggests that roadside inspections of motorcycles must replace the European Union’s requirements for periodic motorcycle inspections. This is stated in a draft bill that the Danish ministry of transport has recently sent out for consultation.

Back in September 2020, MCTC asked the minister of transport, Benny Engelbrecht, what he would do to avoid periodic inspections of motorcycles in Denmark – a requirement that the European Union’s directive on periodic roadworthiness tests imposes on all member states.

At the time, minister Engelbrecht gave the following answer to MCTC: “My focus as minister is largely on road safety, including in relation to motorcycles. I have therefore – in order to provide a basis for taking a position on the issue under the directive on periodic roadworthiness tests by 2022 – asked The Danish Transport Authority for an assessment of the road safety effects of motorcycles possibly also being inspected on an ongoing basis “.

It now seems clear that the Danish Transport Authority’s assessment is clear, because in a draft bill amending the Vision Act, which has recently been sent for consultation, the transport minister will introduce so-called ‘roadside inspections of motorcycles’ instead of periodic inspections. “It is assessed that control of motorcycles by the roadside in combination with already completed inspections of motorcycles, meets the directive’s requirements to establish alternatives to periodic inspection requirements without compromising road safety,” reads the bill, among other things.

‘The proposal concentrates on the motorcycles that have problems’

The Danish motorcyclists’ association MCTC – a member of FEMA – welcomes these suggestions. MCTC is positive that the minister of transport has finally taken a position on the question of how Denmark views the periodic inspection of motorcycles. MCTC’s chairman Lene Michelsen says: “MCTC supports the proposal, which instead of testing all motorcycles, concentrates on the motorcycles that have problems. With the proposal, we can avoid periodic inspections of motorcycles, which there is also no evidence to increase road safety. We support the proposal.”

The consultation deadline for the draft bill is set for 11 August 2021, after which the minister of transport is expected to present the proposal to the Danish parliament. MCTC is following developments closely and has already contacted Transport Minister Benny Engelbrecht for a comment.

FEMA’s general secretary Dolf Willigers on periodic technical inspections: “The discussion about periodic technical inspection of motorcycles is a very old one, in which various parties argue that this would benefit road safety. However, there is no evidence that the technical state of motorcycles plays a significant role in accidents. Available reports on motorcycle accidents all point in the opposite direction: the technical state of motorcycles plays only a very marginal role in accidents. Training of road users, behavioural aspects, infrastructure and enforcement of existing traffic rules play a much bigger role in road safety than periodical technical inspections ever will.”

Written by Christian Friis (MCTC)

Top photograph courtesy of www.26thmeu.marines.mil

This article is subject to FEMA’s copyright