Safety conference on eliminating all risk on roads

An international conference begins tomorrow on a road safety policy which could threaten the future of motorcycling.

Vision Zero aims to eliminate all deaths on the roads.

View the programme here

Claes Tingvall, the Swedish transport advisor who devised the policy, famously said on TV: “There is no room for motorcycles in Vision Zero.”

Rune Elvik, a Norwegian transport advisor, recently said a debate was needed on whether motorcycles should be allowed on the roads in order for Vision Zero to progress.

Government transport advisors from across the EU are expected to gather in Brussels for the three-day conference, called: ‘Safe Highways of the Future… exploring technologies and changes required to enable zero deaths on Europe’s roads to become a reality.’

Topics to be covered include ‘safer vehicles by design’.

Tingvall, a speaker at the conference, said today he no longer saw motorcycles as incompatible with Vision Zero. He told MCN that progress toward zero motorcycle deaths needed to focus on rider behaviour rather than vehicle or road design.

“There are groups in the motorcycle society that drive with an extraordinarily low risk,” he said.

But he added: “Of course we need to discuss motorcycles. I honestly don’t know what will happen at the conference.” 

For more on the Vision Zero conference, get MCN, on sale February 20.