A new report “Safer Roads for Motorcyclists: Moving Towards a Systematic Approach for Motorcycle Safety” inventories the infrastructural challenges that motorcyclists all over the world are confronted with, potential solutions and national case studies of success.

With 28% of the global fatalities being riders or passengers on motorcycles, road safety for motorcyclists is an important issue.

Put together by a global working group of 15 experts and informed by iRAP data, the report contains practical recommendations for stakeholders and provides alternatives for currently used road infrastructure, best practices and new test methods. It also calls for more research and the exchange of knowledge between researchers, road authorities and lawmakers.

Examples from several countries, such as Norway, Austria and The Netherlands show that a dedicated approach leads to safer roads, less casualties, and less serious injuries. Other examples show that replacing unsafe road infrastructure with infrastructure that is safe for every road user does not need to be complicated or expensive. Compared to the health and social costs associated with motorcyclist fatalities and serious injuries, investment in safe road infrastructure is much lower.

The report is the outcome of a project commenced by the Swedish Motorcycle Association (SMC) and iRAP, supported by the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA).

The project, which investigated motorcyclist safety insights drawn from iRAP road assessments and ViDA, initially aimed to update the EuroRAP position paper “Barriers to change”, but morphed to drafting new motorcyclist safety guidelines informed by global data.

Informed by available information on safe infrastructure for motorcyclists, the report should be read, and implemented, by anybody who is involved in the design, management and maintenance of road infrastructure.