Mandatory periodic technical inspection (PTI) of motor vehicles has been in effect in the European Union since 2014, but in part due to the efforts of the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA) and it’s member organizations, motorcycles were excluded until 2022. With that date rapidly approaching, several countries are attempting to continue to exempt motorcycles from PTI regulations.

As ADVRider reported earlier this year, European Union member states each have their own inspection requirements, but as in many other regions around the world, the nature of these regulations can vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The EU would like to standardize the PTI for motorcycles across the board for all European Union members.

When the original exemption for motorcycles was applied in 2014, a stipulation was made that member states could formulate their own safety solutions and submit them to the European Comission before May 2017, in order to be excluded from the motorcycle PTI requirement. Finland, Ireland, and the Netherlands managed to do so.

Now, two other countries are arguing to be exempt from the motorcycle PTI requirement: Denmark and France. Denmark’s plan is to have roadside inspections aimed at problem motorcycles, instead of inspecting all motorcycles.

In France, the Fédération Française des Motards en Colère (FFMC, translation: “French Federation of Angry Bikers”) met with France’s Minister of Transport, which decided to reject the EU PTI and continue to study the situation.

With regards to safety and the PTI, FEMA argues, as reported on their website, “There is no evidence that the technical state of motorcycles plays a significant role in accidents, but still some members of the European parliament want to periodically inspect every bike in Europe, thinking it will improve road safety.”

Meanwhile, the ACEM, the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, reports on their website that, “Regarding safety, the MAIDS (Motorcycle Accidents In-Depth Study) highlighted that whilst only 0,3% of accidents are actually directly caused by a technical failure, in more than 5% of accidents technical failures are present as contributing factors. These technical failures mainly concern defective vehicle lighting, the state of the tyres and of the brakes, due to lack of proper maintenance.”

With the 2022 deadline coming up fast, it remains to be seen if other European Union members will also reject the PTI requirement.

Sources: rideapart.com, acem.eu, femamotorcycling.eu, righttoride.eu

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