Spain is all set to tighten its safety regulations related to motorcycles in a bid to curb motorcycle-related fatalities. The government has pushed two proposals on the Ministry of the Interior’s website in Spain that call for a complete ban on open-face or Jet helmets while making gloves mandatory for two-wheeler riders. The proposal comes after the country recorded its highest-ever motorcyclist deaths in the last three years in 2023 with 286 fatalities.
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The data reveals that eight of the 286 people were not wearing a motorcycle helmet at the time of the accident. However, the data does not specifically mention the kind of helmets other riders were wearing at the time of the incident. This is important because Spain now wants to make full-face or modular helmets mandatory for riders and ban open-face helmets completely.
Open-face or jet helmets are quite popular amongst low-speed two-wheeler and scooter riders, who make up a large population in Spain. Apart from the new riding gear regulations, the Spanish government also plans to introduce a mandatory motorcycle course for B licence holders with at least three years of riding experience who wish to ride two-wheelers with engine capacities no bigger than 125 cc.
The B licence in Spain is the standard driver’s licence, which allows users with more than three years of experience to operate a small displacement motorcycle or moped, no larger than 125 cc, without having to apply for a motorcycle A1, A2 and A licence.
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With electric two-wheelers offering faster acceleration times, it’s all the more important to curb helmet laws and riding regulations. What’s noteworthy is that the Spanish government is ensuring to make amends before the numbers rise further. That said, there’s no word on when the new laws will be implemented in the country.
According to the latest Global Status Report on Road Safety by the World Health Organization, the number of deaths reported in India due to road crashes in 2018 was 1,50,785 and it rose to 1,53,792 in 2021. This has gone up from 1.3 lakh in 2010. In comparison, road traffic deaths have fallen by 5 per cent to 1.19 million annually since 2010 on a global scale.
India is one of the biggest two-wheeler markets globally with one of the highest two-wheeler-related fatalities. We need more stringent implementation when it comes to using the right helmet and wearing one when on a motorcycle, be it a rider or pillion.
