28TH EDITION OF THE BARCELONA ROAD SAFETY FORUM: “MOTORCYCLES AND CURRENT MOBILITY IN BARCELONA”

We have to continue working to avoid more lives cut short.

Motorcycle mobility in Barcelona is the most important in Europe: it is the European city with the most motorcycles per inhabitant, with 33% of the total vehicle fleet. Every day there are 450,000 motorcycle trips, which is equivalent to 6.2% of the total trips in the city.

The motorcycle is, therefore, a fundamental and strategic element for mobility in the city, and improving motorcycle mobility necessarily involves reinforcing its safety. Motorcyclists are one of the most vulnerable groups in the mobility pyramid, along with cyclists.

The 28th Barcelona Road Safety Forum wanted to share and delve into the different ways to improve the road safety of motorcycle drivers, as well as address the challenge of reducing their accident rate. A challenge that challenges drivers, entities, manufacturers and administrations alike.

Throughout all the presentations, three main themes stood out:

The lack of regulated parking in Barcelona, and how it is “alleviated” by male and female drivers with parking on the sidewalk.
The need to increase blood alcohol testing and change cultural patterns of alcohol consumption.
The need to train in good driving but also to raise awareness of the vulnerability of being a motorcyclist and its danger to promote greater awareness in the use of protective elements (not only helmets, but also jackets, pants and gloves).
The debate on the incorporation of bicycles, personal mobility vehicles and motorcycles in urban bus lanes.

At P(A)T we wanted to highlight the vulnerability of motorcyclists and how accidents seriously affect the victims, their surroundings and society in general. One of its most visible consequences is that so far this year, 16 of the 24 deaths on Barcelona streets were motorcyclists.

We have to continue working to avoid more lives cut short.