European Parliament hosts exhibition of motorcyclist-friendly crash barriers

An exhibition that will address the broader issue of the hazard that standard guardrails create for motorcyclists is being hosted next week by Members of the European Parliament Corien Wortmann-Kool (The Netherlands) and Ines Ayala-Sender (Spain). “Safe roadside barriers for motorcyclists” being held from 23-25 April, will showcase a prototype friendly road restraint system, designed to offer better protection for motorcyclists. Current standard European roadside barriers (EN 1317) have not been designed n
April 18, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
An exhibition that will address the broader issue of the hazard that standard guardrails create for motorcyclists is being hosted next week by Members of the European Parliament Corien Wortmann-Kool (The Netherlands) and Ines Ayala-Sender (Spain). “Safe roadside barriers for motorcyclists” being held from 23-25 April,  will showcase a prototype friendly road restraint system, designed to offer better protection for motorcyclists.

Current standard European roadside barriers (EN 1317) have not been designed nor tested with vulnerable road users in mind. Motorcyclists pay a high toll when falling and hitting unprotected support posts or sharp edges: roadside barriers contribute to eight to 16 per cent of all motorcyclist fatalities across Europe.

Co-funded by the 1690 European Commission, the Smart Road Restraint Systems (SMARTRRS) project has developed an innovative road restraint system taking the safety of vulnerable road users into account, which will be shown at the event. The new intelligent barrier brings several substantial improvements to today's EU standardised roadside barriers by proposing solutions addressing motorcyclists' safety issues such as shock absorption, traffic information, and emergency response, three of Europe's key road safety priorities 2011-2020.

"The recent decision of Sweden to start installing motorcyclist-friendly barriers in black spot locations, joining other countries such as France, Portugal or Spain, shows that there is a lot of room for improving road infrastructure for motorcyclists,” says 4764 FEMA general secretary Aline Delhaye. “We need to raise awareness on the issue, with the help of the European Parliament, promote coordinated policies at national and local levels to ensure the availability of safer roadside barriers."

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Lindsay innovations at the double
    March 29, 2022
    Lindsay is highlighting two main innovations: the new RoadConnect platform and the company’s globally successful Road Zipper moveable barrier technology.
    Read More
  • Major European project for safer cycling
    November 8, 2016
    A major EU project is studying ways of facilitating the interaction between cyclists and motorists with the help of technical aids in order to reduce the risk of accidents. Project Xcycle, which involves researchers from six European countries, aims to find ways of achieving greater equality for cyclists in traffic, encouraging more cycling, and making travel by bicycle safer. The Swedish Road and National Transport Research Institute (VTI) is a major player in the project and are responsible for evaluating
    Read More
  • MEPs call for timetable to accelerate deployment of C-ITS
    February 22, 2018
    Transport MEPs have called on the European Commission (EC) to present a timetable with targets for what the EU needs to achieve between 2019 and 2020 to accelerate the deployment of connected intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) technologies. It follows a welcomed response to the EC’s plans to speed up the deployment of digital technologies in transport to improve road safety and reduce congestion and emissions.
    Read More
  • Car to car communications a step closer
    December 14, 2012
    Vehicle manufacturers have targeted 2015 for the first cars to roll off European assembly lines fitted with operational V2X technology. They and their partners in the Car 2 Car Communications Consortium are confident of meeting the target, reports Jon Masters. Around three years from now vehicles should be appearing in showrooms boasting the capability of communicating with each other. Manufacturers will have started fitting the first proprietary car-to-car driver-aid safety devices and deployment of ‘vehic
    Read More

Highlighted Content