Stefan Pierer, CEO of KTM AG and President of the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers (ACEM), participated in August at the launch of FIM’s global road safety campaign “We, The Riders”.
The launch took place on the occasion of the Austrian round of the 2018 FIM MotoGP World Championship at the Red Bull Ring, Spielberg.
With the support of ACEM, the European Commission, Dorna, the Red Bull Ring circuit and MotoGP stars Andrea Iannone (Italy), Marc Márquez (Spain), Jack Miller (Australia), Jorge Lorenzo (Spain) and Johann Zarco (France), the FIM said it was “looking forward to raising the awareness of road safety through the launch of this campaign in front of recognised international media and a large, passionate audience of fans.
“The campaign is a call to action, a new movement of responsible motorcyclists from around the world, who all share the joy of riding, and the fight for change. In 2018, it is still far more dangerous than it should be to ride on our roads. That needs to change – and it will only change if all motorcyclists come together as never before to demand it.”
Stefan Pierer explained: “As President of the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers, I reaffirm that for all leading manufacturers and member associations the most important issue is safety.
“Motorcycle riders are vulnerable road users. According to official statistics, 50% of the fatalities are caused by a third party, and the biggest problem is visibility. That’s why every action and initiative that improves visibility is supported by the industry.
“Manufacturers in Europe have shown themselves ready to implement fundamental safety tools to save lives, such as when ABS became mandatory. Road design, architecture and furniture are also vital contributors to safety, as are all ways of improving rider visibility to other road users”.
The vision for “We, The Riders” is to lobby for roads that are safe for everyone - “roads where all are seen, no matter their mode of transport. Roads that are built and planned with everyone in mind. Roads made for the joy of riding – not the fear of crashing”. The FIM says it will deploy the “We, The Riders” campaign through its 113 affiliated federations worldwide
Vito Ippolito, FIM President, declared “for more than 100 years, the FIM has been representing the interests of motorcyclists, both on and off the track. Every day, road traffic crashes claim nearly 3,500 lives and injure many thousands more, 23% of all lives lost are those of our fellow riders.
“At the FIM we do not have all the answers and there is still much left to do. That is why we are launching the movement “We the riders” because we recognise the potential of people-powered change – the power of a network of individuals with something in common to create real change in the world and improve road safety”.
Carmelo Ezpeleta, Dorna CEO, commented: “Riders’ safety on and off the track is our top priority, so Dorna is extremely proud to support this important initiative. The ‘We, The Riders’ campaign is about raising awareness among all road users to be mindful of everybody they share the roads with”.
