Norwegian motorcyclists association NMCU has contributed heavily to the establishment of markings in the roadway based on the model from Austria and Scotland. Since August 2024, when NMCU challenged the Director General of Public Roads on whether Norway should not put in place pilot projects based on the model from Austria, the organisation has at every possible opportunity in meetings with national road authorities raised the issue again and again.

In June 2025, NMCU (a member of FEMA) was the only motorcycle organization on an inspection in Austria, together with representatives from Nord University, Trygg Trafikk, the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and the Motorcycle Importers. The goal of the trip was to learn more about the ellipses, see how motorcyclists handle them, test the ellipses through driving with own motorcycles, where to look, and not least through theoretical lectures and practical guidance by Martin Winkelbauer (KFV, the Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit).

CEO of NMCU, Arild Lind says: “I came down to Austria without any concrete expectations of what I would encounter in the meeting with ellipses. I went home with a lot of experience richer and convinced that this is a tool we need to put in place a pilot project in Norway. I will fight continuously to get started!”

The long and determined work with politicians and authorities is now yielding results. A pilot project is underway under the leadership of the Norwegian Public Roads Administration and Nord University, where participants will be selected to drive a specific route (which of course has not been announced) in week 25 with Eye Tracking glasses, so that scientific information can be obtained on where the drivers are looking. In week 36, the same drivers will drive the same route with the same equipment, but this time parts of the route will have ellipses in the roadway. The purpose here is to see if drivers are distracted by the new road markings.

NMCU is looking forward to learning about the results of this pilot project. Arild Lind concludes: “With the fantastic results we have seen from Austria, there is no reason to believe that this type of driver-oriented measure not also will have a great effect for the riders on the stretches and curves that are obvious candidates for such road markings!”

Source: NMCU

Top photograph courtesy of KFV/Martin Winkelbauer

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