OLA delivers improved safety for motorcycle and moped riders in Sweden

Change management

A completely new approach to policy-making was required, if the national targets are to be achieved. It was evident that successful implementation needed:

• the collaboration of all key stakeholders who can influence road safety
• a shared vision of the problem  based on facts
• Co-production, with all stakeholders having a role in solving the problem.

The first step taken in this project was a stakeholder mapping exercise. This included the following organisations:

• Swedish Moped and Motorcycle Industry Federation, McRF
• National Society for Road Safety, NTF
• National Police Board
• Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions
• Swedish Motorcyclist Association, SMC
• Swedish Motor Insurers, TFF
• Swedish Transport Agency
• Swedish Transport Administration

The meetings were organised in three phases in 2009.

The first phase: O – Objective data collection

The aim of the first OLA seminar is to create a common understanding of the problem. Accident statistics, in-depth studies of fatal road accidents, literature reviews and trends are discussed. In particular, one new finding given prominence at the first OLA on motorcycle and moped accidents was the importance of ABS brakes. Despite this technology existing for a long period the organizations involved at the Roundtable were unaware of the important impact ABS brakes could potentially make in reducing the number of accidents. Statistics showed that Antilock brakes prevent severe and fatal motorcycle crashes by 48%!

The second phase: L – Listing of solutions/actions

In the second phase of OLA, stakeholders provide and discuss both short-term and long-term solutions they have developed in response to the identified problems. It is important that these discussions are constructive towards creating opportunities for improvement and not to seek to find scapegoats or attribute blame. Each organization had to answer the following questions:

1. What can my organisation do?
2. Is co-operation with other organisations needed?
3. What is needed from other organisations?

In the motorcycle and moped OLA, there was a debate on how to encourage motorcyclists to use ABS brakes. Clearly, this would lead to higher costs for motorcycle buyers. There was a discussion between the participants as to whether this would require new legislation to make ABS brakes mandatory or whether voluntary compliance would be better.

The third phase: A – Agreeing on action plans

The third phase of each OLA involved planning specific initiatives and focusing on what each stakeholder can do, individually or as groups. These plans are then published and implemented by the stakeholders.

In this case, four areas were singled out to have great potential for enhancing the safety of motorcyclists and moped riders and where implementation measures were started immediately. These measures were:

1. to increase the proportion of motorcycles with ABS brakes
2. to reduce the number of speed limit infringements by motorcycles
3. to increase the use of helmets by moped riders and to ensure their correct use
4. to reduce the speeds by reduced tuning of mopeds

Follow-up

One year after the addressed action plans were made public, the stakeholders were invited to a meeting where the implementation of the solutions is checked and results were discussed. New facts were presented and, additional follow-up meetings were planned.

In this case it was decided to develop an annual strategy  to:

•  provide annual results of the number of riders injured or killed,
•  the activities that the various stakeholders have undertaken,
•  and also any new developments in thinking.

This process was run by Swedish Transport Administration and was carried out in conjunction with stakeholders.