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Sweden presents motorcycle safety plans

The Swedish Transport Administration proposes measures that increase traffic safety for motorcyclists on the state road network.

In June 2021, we told you how the Swedish minister of infrastructure, Tomas Eneroth, wanted to increase traffic safety and instructed the Swedish Transport Administration to investigate, among other things, how central barriers should be designed. Well, the investigation is finished and on 1 November 2021, the Swedish Transport Administration presented the results.

From left to right: Jesper Christensen (SMC’s General Secretary), Minister Tomas Eneroth and Maria Nordqvist (SMC’s Political Secretary).

The Swedish Transport Administration now proposes measures that increase traffic safety for motorcyclists on the state road network, including barriers. The Swedish Transport Administration says that it should install smoother barriers with a motorcycle protection system in 140 places, replace road signs in curves, create guidance for road managers and contractors for safer roads and to create financial space for motorcycle safety in the regions.

The government assignment was presented at a press conference in mid-June 2021. The week before, Tomas Eneroth had given the introductory speech at the ITF’s global workshop on motorcycle safety, which was arranged in Sweden. He said: “Sweden is at the forefront of road safety work, but further steps are needed to achieve the zero vision that no one should be killed or seriously injured as a result of traffic accidents in Sweden. Therefore, the Swedish Transport Administration is commissioned to review what can be done to further increase traffic safety for motorcyclists.“ In an interview with Teknikens Värld, the minister said: “I have been frustrated with this for a long time and now I want to see concrete and clear proposals. It can be about smoother barriers, motorcycle protection systems or that contractors have to clean away gravel and tools in a much better way than today.”

The Swedish Transport Administration’s proposal for increased traffic safety for motorcyclists includes the following:

  • Install smoother railings with anti-slip protection at approximately 140 traffic locations with a lot of motorcycle traffic on the national road network with barriers in narrow exit ramps.
  • Replace road signs that warn of a sharp curve with curbs that are compliant for motorcyclists at about 60 traffic locations with a lot of motorcycle traffic on the national road network.
  • Develop the 15 km long demo road into a guideline in order to continue the work with improvements on the regional road network. It is about simple measures that are good for everyone but especially for motorcyclists, for example , smooth barries with MPS, removal of protruding obstacles and cleaning of side areas.
  • Initiate a dialogue with regional developers, specifically for motorcycles, in order to create financial space for physical measures for motorcyclists on the regional road network.
  • A more long-term plan is being developed where work to produce data in the form of analyses of accidents, measurement of motorcycle flow, inventory of deficiencies in safety standards for motorcyclists, etc. is ongoing and is expected to be completed in 2022.
  • Implement research and innovation to obtain a basis for improved requirements for barriers. The research needs to include how retrofitted motorcycle protection works together with the most common existing barrier types.

The Swedish Transport Administration also writes in the press release that it has had initial talks with SMC about developing this together, with the knowledge that SMC possesses.

SMC is the Swedish motorcyclists’’ association and a member of FEMA.

This article is subject to FEMA’s copyright

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