FEMA calls for the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety to make sure the safety needs of motorcyclists are taken into account when new road safety measures are developed.

Sweden is to host the 3rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety on 19–20 February 2020. The theme of the conference is Achieving Global Goals 2030. The event is co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO), and minister-led delegations from more than 80 countries are expected to attend.

The Stockholm Declaration will be presented as the final outcome document of the Ministerial Conference. The draft of this declaration is available here.

The Stockholm Declaration calls to reduce road traffic deaths by at least 50% from 2020 to 2030 and to set targets to reduce fatalities and serious injuries for all groups of road users and especially vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and users of public transport. According to the World Health Organization, the number of annual road traffic deaths has reached 1.35 million. Road traffic injuries are now the leading killer of people aged 5-29 years. The WHO says the burden is disproportionately borne by pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

The Stockholm Declaration asks to focus on speed management, including the strengthening of law enforcement to prevent speeding and mandate a maximum road travel speed limit of 30 km/h in areas where vulnerable road users and vehicles mix. The declaration also encourages the development, application and deployment of technologies and other innovations to improve all aspects of road safety, with special attention given to the safety needs of vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists.

FEMA’s general secretary Dolf Willigers says: “It’s great that the Stockholm Declaration mentions the safety needs of motorcyclists, but it is a bit disappointing that no concrete measures or actions to improve our safety are mentioned in the document. FEMA and all its national member organizations will have to keep working closely with the European Commission and with the Member States to make sure motorcyclists’ safety gets more attention.”

Dolf continues: “We also have to closely watch the further implementation of Vision Zero (‘no one should be killed or seriously injured through a road accident’), because if Vision Zero does not integrate the needs of motorcyclists, it could potentially lead to severe restrictive measures for us riders.”

Written by Wim Taal
Sources: www.roadsafetysweden.com & www.who.int

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