By lowering the minimum age for 125cc motorcycles to 16 in 2021, Switzerland adopted an EU regulation. Since then, the number of serious accidents involving young motorcyclists has risen significantly. According to the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU), the number of serious accidents involving 16- and 17-year-olds has almost tripled. Last year, 156 young people between the ages of 15 and 17 were seriously injured in motorcycle accidents, six of whom died. The average number of seriously injured young people in the four years prior to the change in the law was significantly lower, as confirmed by the BFU. The advisory center had spoken out against lowering the age limit in advance and sees its fears confirmed by current developments.
France is lifting the restrictions on lane filtering and, after years of testing, is now making this driving technique legal throughout the country. The corresponding decree was passed on January 9, 2025 and came into force the very next day. For motorcyclists and scooter riders throughout the country, this represents a significant step towards greater riding comfort in slow-moving traffic.
The European Union is facing a major shift in its transport policy aimed at tackling reckless driving across all European borders. In a recent vote, the European Parliament voted in favor of an initiative to ensure that driving bans imposed in one member state are recognized across the EU.
Spain has made it compulsory for riders and passengers to wear suitable motorcycle gloves when riding a motorcycle.
In the future, driving too fast in Austria can be really expensive. Even confiscation of the vehicle is to be made possible in some cases. The Austrian Ministry of Transport wants to introduce the higher penalties as early as summer 2021. at least for the most part.
As reported, there was a 5-year traffic trial on several routes in France where lane splitting was allowed in traffic jams. Before that, there was no real regulation, but it was tolerated. - This has now changed.
