After months of debate, Denmark dismissed the EU’s new annual motorcycle inspection regulations when it enacted its own motorcycle roadside inspections on January 1, 2022. Carried out by Danish authorities, each inspection determines the motorcycle’s operating condition and noise emissions. Those that don't pass receive a €330 ($372 USD) fine. If a rider incurs the sixth infraction, authorities will serve them with a €2,400 ($2,710 USD) ticket.
Fellow EU members France and Finland won’t be handing out any steep fines, though. Instead of implementing their own regulatory practices, both France and Finland have been reluctant to adopt the new EU-imposed restrictions. Led by French Transport Minister Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, France’s Council of State struck down the decree in spring 2022. The French Motorcycling Federation (FFM) and the French Federation of Angry Motorcyclists (FFMC) stood by the government's decision while pledging to help reduce noise and improve community relations.
Finland followed close behind, with the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications reassuring the Finnish Motorcyclists Association (SMOTO) that the country would not adopt the EU’s annual inspections. The governing body also noted that current measures are already sufficient for road safety. Of course, the FFMC and SMOTO are members of the Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA), and the organization fully back the French and Finnish riders.
“The discussion about the periodic technical inspection of motorcycles is a very old discussion in which various parties argue that it benefits road safety,” noted FEMA Secretary-General Dolf Willigers. “However, there is no evidence that the technical condition of motorcycles plays a significant role in accidents.
“The existing reports on motorcycle accidents all point in the opposite direction: the technical condition of motorcycles only plays a very marginal role in accidents. The training of road users, behavioral aspects, infrastructure and the enforcement of existing traffic rules play a much larger role in road safety than regular technical checks."
