Euro standard on motorcycle guard rails by next summer

A European-wide standard for roadside barriers which takes into account motorcyclists’ safety could be established as early as summer 2010, according to the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA). 

Until now European crash-barrier standards have included impact tests for cars but not motorcycles. FEMA hopes a new standard including motorcycle impact tests will be in place by next June after agreeing it with a group of technical experts at the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN).  

The standard would require road barriers to protect motorcyclists, for example with an additional lower guardrail to prevent riders colliding with upright supporting posts.

FEMA spokesman Hugo Roebroeck said the “first step towards the adoption of a standard for guard rails that protect motorcyclists” had been taken in a meeting with technical experts from European member states at CEN’s headquarters in Brussels on November 27.  

He said the standard needed to go through a further approval stage “which in turn will allow its adoption” by a CEN technical committee “during its annual meeting at end of June in Prague”.

He added: “We’ve been campaign for 20 years for this and we’re very close to an outcome.”