Success: different speed limits for motorcycles rejected

Proposals to establish different speed limits for cars and motorcycles ánd differentiated speed limits for holders of A1, A2 and A motorcycle licences were rejected during a vote in the Transport and Tourism Committee of the European Parliament.

Rapporteur Karima Delli MEP, member of the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance said: “I am delighted that the European Parliament is making road safety its top priority. Our goal is to reach zero road deaths by 2050 and create a stronger system to protect novice drivers against accidents.” Photo: European Parliament

On Thursday 7 December 2023, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on the Transport and Tourism Committee adopted their position on the revision of EU driving licence rules by 22 votes in favour, 21 against and two abstentions. MEPs say they “want to make sure the new rules contribute to road safety, in addition to the EU’s green and digital transitions”. Some of the proposed measures:

Mandatory health checks on issuance and renewal of driving licence
Minimum two year probationary period for novice drivers
Update of drivers skills to be better prepared for real driving situations
Driving licences to be uploaded on smartphones

The Transport and Tourism Committee agreed that driving licences should be valid at least for 15 years for motorcycles, cars and tractors, and five years for trucks and buses, with some exceptions. They also suggested making health checks mandatory upon the issuance and renewal of a driving licence. Under the proposed rules, inexperienced drivers would have to undergo a probationary driving period of at least two years during which there would be certain restrictions, such as, stricter penalties for unsafe driving and up to 0,2 g/l alcohol limit while driving.

Transport MEPs back a proposal to adapt driver training and testing to better prepare drivers for real driving situations and develop their risk awareness, in particular to vulnerable users such as pedestrians, cyclist, and users of e-scooters and e-bikes. Safe phone usage while driving, driving in snow and slippery conditions, blind spot risks, driver-assistance systems, and vehicle use in relation to the environment and emissions should also be part of driver tests. To support the EU’s single market, MEPs are in favour of giving the possibility for drivers to get a digital driving licence, available on a mobile phone and fully equivalent to the physical driver’s licence.

Rapporteur Karima Delli MEP’s report included amendments to the proposal by the European Commission, trying to establish different speed limits for cars and motorcycles ánd differentiated speed limits for holders of A1, A2 and A motorcycle licences, regardless of the general speed limits. This would mean:

The absolute maximum allowed speed for drivers under category A1 shall not exceed 90 km/h;
The absolute maximum allowed speed for drivers under category A2 shall not exceed 100 km/h;
The absolute maximum allowed speed for drivers under category A shall not exceed 110 km/h.

FEMA can now confirm that these amendments fell during the vote in the Transport and Tourism Committee and will not be part of the final TRAN report.

FEMA’s General Secretary Wim Taal: “This is a major victory for the European motorcyclists’ lobby. Different speeds for different licence holders is the most ridiculous and dangerous proposal I have heard in a long time. This would not only discourage a lot of road users to switch to powered two-wheelers, it would also put motorcyclist in an unacceptable unsafe situation. A victory like this once again proves how important it is to have strong motorcyclists’ organisations throughout Europe.”

The draft position on the revision of EU driving rules will possibly be voted on by the full house of the European Parliament in January 2024 plenary session.

In September 2023 FEMA issued a full statement, in reaction to the European Parliament rapporteur’s draft report on the proposal by the European Commission to revise the driving licence directive.

We made very clear that FEMA values the freedom of Member States to gain access to L-category vehicles (motorcycles, mopeds, et cetera) at lower ages to enable younger people to go to school, work, friends, and family, especially in rural areas where there are no or not enough alternatives like public transport. The Parliament rapporteur’s report removes the possibility for member states to give access to L-category vehicles at a lower age. We cannot support and advised to reject this proposal.

We showed how most incidents in which motorcyclists are involved happen at relatively lower speeds on rural and urban roads, where speed limits are usually well below 100 km/h. Only 8% of the motorcycle fatalities occur on motorways. Lower speeds limits for certain kinds of vehicles that are allowed on all roads do not contribute to road safety and will bring extra risks for some categories of road users like younger motorcyclists. We strongly advise to reject this proposal for safety reasons.

Differentiated speed limits for holders of A1, A2 and A motorcycle licences will lead to situations where motorcyclists will be confronted with other, larger, and heavier, vehicles with higher speed limits on the same roads. We consider this a dangerous situation for already vulnerable road users and for other road users because this will lead to car drivers ‘pushing’ motorcyclists and more overtaking manoeuvres. Lower speeds limits for certain kinds of motorcycle categories that are allowed on all roads do not contribute to road safety and will bring extra risks for motorcyclists. We strongly advised to reject this proposal for safety reasons.

FEMA values the freedom of Member States to gain access to L-category vehicles (motorcycles, mopeds, et cetera) at lower ages to enable younger people to go to school, work, friends, and family, especially in rural areas where there are no or not enough alternatives like public transport. The Parliament rapporteur’s report removes the possibility for member states to give access to L-category vehicles at a lower age. We cannot support and advised to reject this proposal.

Written by Wim Taal

Source: European Parliament

Top photograph courtesy of dollarsandsense.sg