Protest run to Brussels

By
MAG Office
– August 31, 2012Posted in: Roadworthiness Testing

The EU Commission claims that extending roadworthiness testing to motorcycles will improve road safety, and to justify that position, the Commission claims 8% of motorcycle accidents involve technical failure of the motorcycle.

The internationally accepted figure is less than 2%, and the MAIDS study shows that technical failure is the primary cause in about 0.3% of all cases. The EU Commission is therefore on very thin ice in claiming 8% of accidents are due to technical failure, all of which raises the question of how they came up with this number in the first place. Who benefits from claiming the situation is much worse than it actually is? Why is the EU Commission so keen to solve a problem which does not exist at the expense of riders across the EU?

A number of Irish riders will be participating in a protest run to Brussels on on 22nd September 2012. The protest run is to demonstrate opposition to the introduction of annual mandatory technical inspections for motorcycles –  Roadworthiness Testing. MAG Ireland has received the following information from the organisers, MAG Netherlands & MAG Belgium, which we’re posting here for the benefit of Irish riders living or working in Europe who may want to join in. If you are taking part, please drop an e-mail to office@magireland.org to let us know.

Protestrun to Brussels
On saturday 22 september 2012 the Dutch Motorcyclist’ Action Group (MAG NL) will organize a protestrun to Brussels, in order to fight the proposal by the European Commission to have an annual, mandatory technical inspection for motorcycles. The protestrun is organized in close co-operation with MAG Belgium.

Meeting point in the Netherlands
Riders that want to join our protestrun will gather at ‘Hazeldonk’ at the Dutch-Belgian border, near Breda (see http://goo.gl/maps/6a9Gj for the location). The meeting point is open from 08.30h and we are planning the ride to leave for Brussels at 11.00h.Riding to Brussels
From Hazeldonk the riders will be escorted to Brussel by MAG Belgium’s road captains. The protestrun will end at the Atomium in Brussels at approximately 13.00h (see http://goo.gl/maps/xeapO for the location). After the protest at the Atomium, the road captains will guide the riders out of Brussels and every one can go his or her own way again.

International support
So far MAG NL has received messages from riders from Belgium, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom who want to join the protest against mandatory technical inspections for all motorcycles. And of course they are all welcome! If you want to join us on the ride from the Netherlands to Brussels, come along! But of course there is also the possibility to ride directly to the Atomium in Brussels and the join the protest there. Let’s make this a day to remember!

Motorcyclist from Europe: let’s unite and let ‘Brussels’ know that we will not take this lying down!

Our website: http://www.motorrijdersactiegroep.nl/protestrit (in Dutch).
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/motorrijderstegenapk (in Dutch).

Note:
– Participants should follow the instructions given by the volunteers of MAG B and MAG NL and by the police.
– MAG NL and MAG B are not liable for any damages or personal injury incurred while taking part at the protestrun.

MOTORRIJDERS ACTIE GROEP
Postbus 46
8900 AA Leeuwarden
Telefoon: 058-2134478

Kijk voor informatie op internet: http://www.motorrijdersactiegroep.nl

De MAG op Facebook: http://www.motorrijdersactiegroep.nl/facebook
De MAG op Hyves: http://motorrijdersactiegroep.hyves.nl
De MAG op Twitter: http://twitter.com/magnederland

De MAG maakt actief deel uit van de FEMA
Kijk voor meer informatie op http://www.fema.nl
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