Safety for motorcycle riders

In my lefthand sidebar I had a link to SafeRider-EU for the simple reason that it appeared that there might have been a sensible approach to researching rider safety supported and promoted by various organisations, governments and universities across Europe.

However, I had not visited it for a while and on doing so recently I find that it appears to have died a death, petered out due to lack of interest. And one has to ask why? The opening gambit on their site states... "European statistics show that Powered-Two-Wheelers (PTW) road accidents are extremely high." A sweeping statement if ever I saw one, but, if that is the case then why would the concern that drove the initiative (in the first place) lose interest and abandon 'the cause'? I tend to be a bit cynical about these 'goody two shoes' type of initiatives where so called 'learned men' get together with politicians and big businesses with vested interests - which is what this appears to have been all about.

The reality is that motorcycle accidents, injuries and fatalities have been dropping over the last 3 decades as motorcycle use, rider licences and new bike registrations decline. Changes have been brought in to improve rider training and make ownership a progression through various engine sizes / power outputs so that riders are those that want to ride as opposed to those that just want a cheap thrill and quick buzz by passing the required riding test on a small machine and then moving straight onto a super/hyper bike and adding to the accident statistics.

Motorcycling is now viewed (wrongly in my opinion) as a 'leisure pursuit' and not as part of the solution to the transport problems. Across Asia / Indo-China whole families can be seen out on small capacity motorcycles while in Europe it is mainly solo riders sometimes with pillions, on large capacity machines that have every technical gizmo the manufacturers dream up to 'improve rider safety'. Why do bike manufacturers keep chasing ever higher power outputs if they then have to fit traction control and power mode systems to rein in the power delivery, ABS to stop the bikes from the higher speeds they can now (illegally) be ridden at and electronic suspension systems to ensure that the bikes can cope with the road conditions? None of that makes sense, but, now it is mandated that motorbikes over a certain size have to have ABS fitted as standard - a measure driven into legislation by car driving politicians that don't understand (nor want to) what motorcycling is all about.

Anyway - there are a couple of contact details on SafeRider-EU so I will be emailing them and asking for a comment. Don't hold your breath waiting for an answer.