Here’s an idea that could catch on in countries where motorcycles are appreciated, if not in Canada. A road made specifically safer for motorcyclists has been opened in Norway.
It’s only 15 km long, but your chance of getting hurt on this short stretch of Norwegian pavement is closer to zero thanks to a program called Vision Zero and a batch of modifications: crash barriers fitted with a sub-rail, good run-off along the sides, carefully-located signposts, and removal of vegetation that obstructs sightlines.
The road, RV32, is located in Telemark county. Unfortunately, they couldn’t go all the way and prohibit anything with more than three wheels, but the Vision Zero road, which cost about $1 million Cdn, is a triumph for FEMA, the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations, and two road engineers, Jan Petter Lyng and Bjørn R. Kirste, who designed the road’s improvements.
It’s also a symbolic victory for motorcyclists, as the Vision Zero strategy – achieve zero deaths and zero serious injuries on public roads – has been seen as a good excuse for banning motorcycles in Europe. Now, it’s been shown that safety and motorcycles are not mutually exclusive.
You can read FEMA’s press announcement at www.fema.ridersrights.org.
Two comments:
1. Anything with more than 2 wheels is not a motorcycle, and
2. A great way to make a road safer is to not fall off your bike.