[REPORT]

"Operation Portes Ouvertes des Circuits"

Open days for French race tracks

The French Motorcycle Federation (FFM) has launched its fifth edition of open race tracks dedicated to motorcycle riders and their vehicles. The programme spans over 27 days involving 16 circuits offering a valuable opportunity both for motorcycle neophytes and experts eager to improve theirs skills and to determine the behaviour of their motorcycles. Thanks to the advice of certified instructors the motorcyclists will ride in a controlled environment maximising their learning experience.

Access to the tracks is open to vehicles with insurance. Full-face helmet, gloves, boots and leather equipment are compulsory. Before the ride on the circuit vehicles must undergo a technical check ensuring the good condition of the vehicle, but also making the owners aware that poor upkeep can prove dangeours. The control includes an inspection of wheels' condition, brakes and a noise check of the tail pipe.

Starting in April, and untill the end of October, tracks welcome motorcycle riders. The French Ministries of Health and of the Environment are supporting the initiative as part of an action plan to increase roadsafety. The programme spans over 27 days involving 16 circuits offering a valuable opportunity both for motorcycle neophytes and experts eager to improve theirs skills and to determine the behaviour of their motorcycles.

The aims of this awareness operation are:

Allowing access to the races track under controlled conditions

Encourage motrocycle users to adopt a sound and responsible driving style on public roads

Allowing motorcyclists to acquire awareness of their own limits and of those of their vehicles

Develop an active prevention strategy where the PTW user is responsible for his own education, complemented by media campaign and policy actions.

 

The christening of the open day was hosted by FFMs President Jean-Pierre Mougin and Daniel Barthelemy, Director of the French Motorcycling Federation. Mr Mougin highlighted that training is at the center of FFM's safety strategy and that this kind of educational events would have a positive effect on riders behaviour and on their awareness of the limits of their vehicles.

However, Mr Mougin argued, infrastructure and the condition of the public roads were an aspect that contributed to make vulnerable road users out of PTW riders and needed to be addressed by authorities if road safety was to be tackled seriously.

By the end of the campaign in October FFM expects more than three thousand participants to attend the open days. In order to better evaluate the quality of the operation, FFM held a survey which gives a profile of the riders and their vehicles. From the 1300 questionnaires handed out last year it emerged that riders were on average very experienced, owning their driving licence for more that 15 years. Furthermore the almost all participants expressed satisfaction for the initiative and said that they benefited from the instructor's advice and the unique opportunity to access a race track.

Link:

www.ffmoto.org.