Tyrol: Banning of motorcycles over 95 dB remains in place

18. March 2021

4 min read

In June last year, certain routes in Tyrol were closed to motorcycles with a registered stationary noise of over 95 db(A). This closure is now to remain in place for the next few years.

Tyrol: Banning of motorcycles over 95 dB remains in place - also in the MOTORCYCLES.NEWS APP Click to Tweet

In June last year, certain routes in Tyrol were closed to motorcycles with a registered stationary noise of over 95 db(A). This closure is now to remain in place for the next few years.

Seasonal closure remains in place

The same routes as before will continue to be affected. The closure is to apply annually from April 15 to October 31. In winter, motorcyclists will be allowed to ride there as well, although probably not really, since the weather conditions in this period do not allow it at all for the most time.

Flimsy reasons for the extension

The reason given for the extension of the closure is the data collected last year. According to this, the closure for motorcycles with a registered stationary noise of over 95 db had led to a noise level reduction of 2 dB. In the Außerfern area, the number of motorcycles decreased by 36 percent. The local residents are satisfied with the measure.

Losses in tourism should be inevitable with these numbers, and 46 percent of the residents surveyed also acknowledged this. However, if an analysis commissioned by the Tyrolean provincial government is the judge, this is wrong.

According to the study, the losses in tourism cannot be attributed to the driving ban, as the Corona pandemic also had a major influence on it. However, the influence of the Corona crisis does not seem to be taken into account when it comes to the decrease in the number of motorcyclists and the resulting decrease in volume. Here one attributes it to the thereby “successful” appearing driving ban. Since one evaluates the driving ban as success, it is also extended.

The following routes are affected in detail:

L199 Tannheimerstrasse, from road kilometer 0.0 to 22.557
L198 Lechtalstraße, from road kilometer 18.162 to 67.0
L21 Berwang-Namloser Straße, from road kilometer 0.0 to 26.852
L246 Hahntennjochstraße 1st part, from road kilometer 0.407 to 13.925
L72 Hahntennjochstraße 2nd part, from road kilometer 0.0 to 5.175
L266 Bschlaber Straße, from road kilometer 0.0 to 9.672

What is stationary noise?

Explanation: The stationary noise is only entered in the vehicle registration document in order to provide the police with a value to check whether an exhaust system has been tampered with. The stationary noise is measured with the engine revving up to half of the maximum speed. A motorcycle is usually much quieter during a normal ride.

As an indicator of how loud a motorcycle is while driving, the stationary noise is only of limited use. On the one hand, it depends very much on the driving style and, on the other hand, motorcycles with a high stationary noise level can be quieter while driving than motorcycles with a lower stationary noise level.