Road safety – Climbing up the lines: the Dutch code of conduct –

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Raising the queues: the Dutch code of conduct

Road safety - Climbing up the lines: the Dutch code of conduct -

The intervention yesterday in Paris by Achilles Damen, president of the FIM Mobility Commission and Queen’s Prosecutor in the Netherlands, seems to have inspired Denis Baupin, deputy mayor in charge of transport, with the idea of ​​a Charter of motorized two-wheelers.

The example of the Netherlands, where bikers have succeeded in negotiating a "Code of Conduct" with the public authorities establishing rules for re-entry, could soon inspire France..

"In the Netherlands, moving up traffic queues on motorcycles has not been explicitly prohibited since 1991", explains Achilles Damen, Chairman of the Mobility, Transport, Road Safety and Public Affairs Committee of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), member of the Dutch biker organization KNMV and the Queen’s Prosecutor in the Netherlands.

"This is practical, because if bikers can move up a line, they help to shorten it", he continues."Also, most motorcycles are not built to stand still with the engine running. It is tiring for the rider and it poses problems for the motorcycle (cooling at idle). Finally, as motorcycles do not have a deformable structure (bodywork), standing in line as the last vehicle should always be avoided.".

Climbing up the queue is still not a real right, but it is tolerated. And if he has respected the rules provided by the "Code of conduct" negotiated with the authorities, a biker victim of an accident while going up the lines will not be held responsible. A Dutch judge thus had recourse to this "Code of conduct" to estimate that a motorcyclist overturned while going up a line had shown extreme caution and that he should not therefore be held responsible for the damage caused..

The Dutch Code of Conduct

"Rules of conduct have been developed for motorcyclists and others for other usersHere is the list:

For bikers

  • use with care the space cleared between the lines of cars

  • drive at a suitable speed and ensure that the differential with the speed of the line of cars is not more than 10 km / h, so that one can judge car after car whether it is safe to overtake

  • do not go back in line if the speed of the cars is greater than 30 km / h

  • use turn signals or warnings

  • watch out for motorists who suddenly disengage to go to an empty space in another line

  • pay attention to doors that open suddenly, especially in summer

  • when several motorcycles are moving up a line, all behave in the same way and stay one behind the other

  • never use the emergency lane

  • use the space to the right of the leftmost lane

For motorists

  • leave the space to the right of the leftmost lane free. Usually there is enough space when riding in the middle of your lane, but you can help the rider by riding a little left or right depending on which lane you are using

  • clearly signal a lane change and check that a rider is not overtaking you

  • do not open your door

"In the Netherlands it works", concludes Achilles Damen:"there are hardly any more fines against the bikers who go up the lines".

Eric MICHEL

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