The motorcycles in Barcelona It is one of the most surprising images for tourists. He sees them passing through Provença in the Sacred Familyon Passeig de Gràcia next to La Pedrera or Casa Batllósurrounding the Camp Nou or circulating in front of the door of the Guell park. Motorcycles everywhere. Or that’s the feeling, because represent only 6.2% of trips (about 450,000) but they always open the traffic lights, they are leathery, noisier than the rest, unpredictable. Used to say Manuel Haroformer head of the accident investigation and prevention unit of the Urban Guardwhat’s up two types of bikers: those who have fallen and those who are going to fall. The protagonists are clear about it, because according to a RACC survey, almost 50% consider it dangerous to ride a motorcycle in the city. But beware, 26% pilot with the risk by flag. and 45% don’t stop at crosswalks. Hunger and the desire to eat.
The RACC has presented this Thursday a study on this mode of transport that concentrates 36% of the accidents with victims. In other words, based on its percentage with respect to the total number of trips, the risk of suffer a Sinister on motorcycle multiplies by six that of the rest of motor vehicles. only the scooter, which has triggered its use and falls, is close to those records. If it is taken as the basis of fatalities analysis51.4% of the people who have lost their lives in a traffic accident since 2010 they were on a motorcycle. Remember that they account for 6.2% of trips, and yet they are one in two deaths.
lots of exposure
There are many elements that cause this situation. In the more than 13,000 observations made by the automobile club (now ‘mobility club‘ because times force us to adapt) in 11 hot spots in the city, disturbing behaviors. Although the problem with the motorcycle, whether it is her fault or not, is that the consequences will always be very negative for her high degree of exposure. Something that also happens with the bike and the scooter, although the lower speed, in these cases, reduces the severity of the injuries.
The average percentage of indiscipline of motorcyclists is 26%, but the detail shows worrying attitudes. 44.9% of motorcycles do not give way at crosswalks, 44% circulate through the ring roads between lanes and 36.7% they zig-zag to gain ground. Also 35.6% go through the bus lane and 28.2% do not activate the flashing before turning. About 10% (somewhat above or somewhat below) invade the bike lane, circulate in the opposite direction to reach the head of the traffic light or start before the traffic light is green. This last point, given that 37% of accidents occur at intersectionsis especially relevant.
The alternatives
In the RACC survey of 600 people, the means of transport that the interviewees say they used before the motorcycle is striking. It is understood a little better when verifying that 70% of the participants are under 40 years old. Thus, things, according to the study, 78% come from public transport, for only 18% in the car and 23% on foot (add more than 100 because it was a multi-choice question). In fact, a very similar percentage (75%) indicate the bus and metro as the best alternativeby 13% who say the bike and 18% (those who left it are the ones who might get it back), the car.
Regarding that 47% of interviewees who maintain that riding a motorcycle in Barcelona is very (22%) or quite (25%) dangerous, the study includes what are some of the reasons that generate this large percentage. The interviewees could choose different options, and the element of the city that generates the most concern for them is the bidirectional bike lanes, increasingly in disuse by the city council. 53% believe that the turns in which there is one of these double vials are very risky. Also for the cyclists and scooter users, which in 54% also believe that they are a black point. They don’t like motorcycles either (54% see them as dangerous) berliner cushionsthose rubber bumps placed on the ground to force the speed reduction. There he gave them the reason president of the RACC, Josep Mateuwhich considers that they change the trajectory of the motorcycle and endanger motorcyclists.
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Asked about his sometimes irresponsible attitude, motorcyclists excuse themselves, in 42% of cases, due to the lack of civility of all public road users. I mean, I misbehave because I think the rest do the same. To the same degree, there is the desire to get to places quickly and, to a lesser extent, the incorrect habits that are generated when there are traffic jams. The RACC has also collected its opinion on the municipal decisions on mobility. While the low emission zone seems to sit well with the group (approved by 53%), the policy of gradually eliminating lanes is what they least like (reproached by 59%).
The Penalties for parking badly on the sidewalk do not like 54%. And it is curious, because it is enough to take a walk around the Eixample to verify that the vast majority of motorcycles are always badly parked in the areas reserved for pedestrians. As they are sidewalks less than six meters long, they should be parallel to the road, but almost all of them are in battery. For it, the RACC asks for more spaces on the roadWell, in round numbers, there are 3.3 motorcycles per square (a total of 82,000 throughout the city).