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FEMA Partners - Danske Motorcyklisters Råd (DMC) Denmark
 Hans Henrik Jørgensen from fellow member group DMC Denmark tells us that amongst politicians DMC always has been seen as the acting organisation representing motorcyclists.
Interview by Ralf Bretveld 2008
Picture Wim Taal MAG NL
RB: How many active motorcyclists are there in your country and how many of them are a member of your organisation? Is your organisation growing, stable in numbers or are you losing members?
HHJ: There are 110,000 registered bikes in Denmark. Some people own several bikes, so there will be around 90.000 motorcyclists in Denmark. Unfortunately only 1,150 of them are members of DMC, a number that is getting smaller every year.
RB: Would you say your organisation is well known in your country, among bikers as well as among the general public and other parties, such as politicians?
HHJ: DMC has been active for 32 years, and especially the older motorcyclists know DMC. I must admit that we have not managed to get our message through to the younger guys and to the big group of new started bikers very well. Amongst politicians DMC always has been seen as the acting organisation representing motorcyclists. DMC is always part of hearings concerning traffic, and we have a seat in both the Motorcycle Council of Denmark, and the Traffic Safety Council.
RB: Besides fighting for riders' rights, are there other activities your organisation is involved in (for example consumer activities such as discount on insurance or fuel, participation in riders' trainings programs etc.)
HHJ: DMC is running their own advanced rider training courses, with bigger and bigger success. Many Danish motorcyclists every year learn about better braking and collision avoidance etcetera. We run two different courses, one on a closed circuit, and if the participant wants to continue the second course is on public roads. DMC also has discount deals with a gasoline company, a road rescue company, and ferry companies. Right now we are working on a new discount deal with an insurance company, cause the company we used to work with has merged, and therefore cancelled the attractive deal we had with them.
RB: Could you give some examples of the important successes achieved by your organisation?
HHJ: Similar to the Netherlands, we have had the fight against the Wire Rope Safety Fence, WRSF. Around 10 years ago DMC played the major role in the fight that led to the decision to ban WRSF in Denmark, and to replace the several hundred kilometres WRSF with safer fences. One of the latest things we managed to get changed, was a special Danish phenomenon: a very long rear mudguard going down to the centre of the wheel. Here we used the fact that no other European country had this regulation, and now the rear mudguard just has to meet the European standard. There have been a lot other things, but these are the biggest and the latest victories for DMC.
RB: What are the main subjects you are working on at this moment?
HHJ: We are about to finish a new folder about DMC, that hopefully will bring new members to DMC. Also the fact that a couple of our board members not are standing for re-election in the fall needs our attention. We really need to find some people that are willing to use the time and effort that is needed to run an organisation on voluntary basis.
RB: Are there any subjects that will get your special attention in the near future?
HHJ: We have once managed to get the registration tax reduced several years ago, but a further reduction will be one of the main items the coming year. I have to tell that we have the highest registration tax in Europe - 180%! Yes, its true, we almost pay for three bikes, but only get one. Here we will ask for a harmonisation with the rest of Europe. Also the fact that, compared on the basis price, the registration tax is higher for bikes than for cars does not make any sense.
RB: When did your organisation join FEMA and what was the main reason to do so?
HHJ: DMC was one of the founders of EMA back in 1991, because we saw there was a need for a Pan-European organisation that could represent us in Brussels. A now closed organisation was the Danish member of FEM, therefore we chose EMA. When FEM and EMA merged, we were happy that all efforts now was together in one organisation.
RB: What role does FEMA play in your current or future activities?
HHJ: FEMA will play an important role in our coming campaign against the high Danish registration tax. We will here use the data we can get from our fellow member organisations, to show the Danish politicians that there is a need for a reduction of the taxes.
RB: Do you have some good advice for your fellow FEMA-member organisations?
HHJ: All FEMA member organisations, specially the smaller ones without a full time staff, have to keep in mind that it is important to have people that are willing to work with the FEMA staff for some years, because it takes a lot of time to get familiar with the European system, and all the items that are going on.
RB: Why should we all visit your country next summer?
HHJ: Most people will feel welcome in Denmark. Beside the motorways we have a lot of smaller scenic roads, perfect for motorcycling, and, with the right clothing, the Danish summer can be very nice. For those that are not going for very high temperatures - temperatures where it is not comfortable to wear safe motorcycle clothing - holiday in Denmark will be a good choice.
www.dmc-org.dk
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