ANESDOR, the National Association of Companies in the Two Wheel Sectorhas recently issued an official statement supporting the approval of the new Royal Decree on Vulnerable Userss, valuing it as a relevant change of vision in Spanish road safety policy.
The association applauds the measure in which, for the first time, the norm legally recognizes the figure of the “vulnerable road user” and remembers that 6 out of 10 motorcyclist accidents are due to the actions of another vehicle and raises greater awareness and actions for all road users.
Royal Decree on Vulnerable Users in detail
The new Royal Decree on Vulnerable Users establishes for the first time the figure of the “vulnerable road user”, who according to the description provided therein is “those who, due to the means of transportation they use or their physical characteristics, have a greater risk of suffering serious injuries in the event of an accident.”
Under this definition, motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians and drivers of personal mobility vehicles are expressly included. ANESDOR considers that this framework was necessary and that it lays the foundations to continue advancing in the protection of those most exposed on the road.
The entity has made it clear that it supports all the measures introduced. The Royal Decree on Vulnerable Users, as we already analyzed in detail in this article, establishes the mandatory use of protective gloves on interurban roads and closed footwear on all types of roads, both for drivers and passengers of motorcycles and mopeds.
Another passive safety measure is that moped users must wear approved helmets, going beyond mere certification. Likewise, those who carry out their professional activity on a motorcycle will be required to wear a reflective vest at all times.
The standard also includes a measure long requested by users. This is none other than the possibility of motorcycles traveling on the right shoulder in congestion situations, with a limit of 30 km/h and prior signaling of the section. ANESDOR especially values this measure because it reduces the motorist’s exposure to traffic jams.
This is probably one of the moments of greatest risk in urban and interurban driving: “Traffic segregation always provides safety,” they say from the association. With a continuous growth of the park in recent years, it is a reality that more and more citizens choose the motorcycle as a daily mobility solution.
A trend that makes it more urgent to address its security from all fronts, since equipment and regulations are only part of the answer. Multiple studies highlight that 6 out of every 10 accidents in which a motorcyclist is involved have their origin in the actions of another driver. A revealing fact that exposes a fact of utmost importance: “The safety of the motorcyclist also depends, to a large extent, on how the rest of the users perceive and respect their presence on the road”they denounce from the association itself.
For this reason, ANESDOR offers its collaboration to the DGT and the competent institutions to jointly promote awareness and more specific actions around the world of motorcycles. They conclude by expressing their concern about the issue, clarifying that “As long as intersections, blind spots, safety distances and overtaking maneuvers continue to be a pending issue for many drivers, motorists will continue to pay the consequences of errors that are not theirs.”.
