Fewer accidents with two-wheel technical control? A study thinks so

With 3 million vehicles in circulation and a constant increase in this figure, the practice of two-wheelers continues to concern more and more people. The general trend is towards a decrease in claims on French roads, but accidents involving two-wheelers remain very frequent. BCA Expertise, French leader in automotive expertise, in partnership with ONISR (National Interministerial Road Safety Observatory), conducted an in-depth study to understand the origin of these claims, their impact, and to propose actions aimed at improve the safety of two-wheelers.

Figures and causes of claims

This study is based on the analysis of 49,000 two-wheeler appraisals carried out between January 2019 and March 2021 by BCA Expertise experts. The two-wheelers appraised are distributed as follows: 38% motorcycles, 37% mopeds (including scooters), 19% light motorcycles (< 125 cc) and 6% motor tricycles. Scooters, all displacements combined, alone represent 21% of the two-wheelers appraised.

Of the expert appraisals carried out, 78% resulted from a traffic accident. Of these claims, 58% are due to collisions with one or more vehicles, which is the leading cause of accidents for two-wheelers, and 18% result from loss of control without an external cause.

Other types of claims were also recorded, in particular theft and vandalism (19%), stolen vehicles not found (outside the measurement scope), malfunctions, damage or mechanical breakdowns (3%). Nearly 67% of claims occur in urban areas, with Paris leading with more than 4,500 appraisals, followed by the Alpes-Maritimes with 2,888 appraisals.

A particularly worrying figure emerges from the study: 61% of accident vehicles in circulation have damage affecting their safety. This concerns items such as the suspension (29%), the braking system (22%), the handlebar assembly (20%), the wheels (18%) and the frame (11%).

Of the 49,000 two-wheelers appraised, 26% showed previous damage or were considered dangerous before the accident. This percentage rises to 35% for mopeds. The deficiencies noted include poor general condition (32%), absence, non-compliance or deterioration of the exhaust (30%), absence, deterioration and/or non-compliance of lighting and signaling (15%), leaks, wear or non-conformities in the fork, engine and transmission (10%), severe wear of tyres, discs and brake pads (8% ), as well as abnormal play in the joints of the cycle part (5%). The study recognizes, however, that the modifications made by the owners are mainly aesthetic and remain in the minority.

Proposals to improve security according to BCA Expertise

1. Inspection of the repair of severely damaged vehicles: given that more than 60% of two-wheelers involved in accidents have damage affecting their safety, BCA Expertise proposes to extend to two-wheelers the regulatory procedure already applied to light vehicles. This procedure would make it possible to check the conformity of the repairs of seriously damaged two-wheelers, in particular at the level of the safety organs.
2. Technical inspection of two-wheelers: BCA Expertise supports the implementation of a technical control for motorized two-wheelers The three priority areas during the technical control will be safety, air pollution and noise pollution. This would ensure regular monitoring of the condition of two-wheelers, ensure their compliance and help to increase the safety of road users.
3. Establishment of an annual Observatory of two-wheeler claims: BCA Expertise also proposes the creation of an annual observatory to monitor the situation of two-wheelers compared to previous studies, measure the effectiveness of actions taken and help guide road safety policy. This approach would provide a clear and up-to-date view of two-wheeler claims and emerging trends.

An evolution of the practice of two-wheelers

This study comes to break the myth of the motorcycle conscientiously maintained by its owner. Not that the careful motorcyclist no longer exists, but rather because the practice of two-wheelers has evolved towards the utilitarian aspect and “comuting” as confirmed by the figures on a more devastated urban environment. Many people put on two-wheelers to avoid daily traffic jams and do not perceive their vehicle as an object of passion to be pampered, but as a time and money saver, often neglect the maintenance of their mount lack of legal constraints. If it is these uses that justify the implementation of the technical control, the study clears the “preparations” and other modifications, minority in the causes of accidents. These owners are independent on the regular maintenance of their machine, but passionate motorcyclists are now a minority on two wheels.

If the study therefore proposes a two-wheeled technical control, it speaks of a more rigorous application around the safety elements and really adapted to two-wheeled vehicles and their specificities. Enough to convince users and legitimize the establishment of the motorcycle CT?