- Four fatal accidents involving A1 riders under 18 in Norway during 2024
- Norwegian Road Administration is examining raising the A1 minimum age from 16 to 18
- NMCU is launching digital parent evenings and the NMCU Ung programme for riders aged 16 to 25
Norway’s motorcycle association NMCU is consistently focusing its road safety work for young riders on dialogue, parental involvement and prevention rather than new legal hurdles. The background is four fatal accidents involving motorcyclists under 18 in 2024 and a debate about raising the A1 age limit from 16 to 18. Through the European umbrella organisation FEMA, the Norwegian Motorcycle Union NMCU has explained why it is increasingly placing the focus of its work on young motorcyclists. From the association’s perspective, investing in the next generation is one of the most important levers for road safety in the coming years. The focus is particularly on 16 to 18 year olds holding an A1 licence, whose accident risk according to the available statistics is significantly above that of other motorcyclists.
Background: high accident figures and looming age increase
In Norway, teenagers are allowed to ride a motorcycle with 125 cubic centimetres of displacement from the age of 16. In the age group between 16 and 18 this machine is often used daily, as the main means of transport to school, to work, during leisure time and for touring. A large share of these young riders covers between 5,000 and 10,000 kilometres per year and uses the motorcycle all year round. Especially in rural regions where distances are long and public transport is virtually non-existent, the two-wheeler is the only mobility option for many.
In 2024 four riders under the age of 18 died in motorcycle accidents, in addition to a larger number of severely injured riders. The Norwegian Road Administration is therefore considering raising the minimum age for class A1 from 16 to 18. A study by the Institute of Transport Economics (TØI), commissioned by the Road Administration, quantifies the potential safety effect: the expected reduction of accidents with fatal or severe consequences in the age group of 16 and 17 year olds is given as around 34 percent. At the same time an online survey among roughly 3,500 young moped or A1 licence holders shows that only about half of those who today prefer a light motorcycle would actually switch to a moped if the age were raised. The remaining preferences are distributed fairly evenly across moped cars, two-wheeled mopeds and ATVs.
On this matter NMCU has held talks with the Minister of Transport and the chair of the Transport and Communications Committee in parliament. From the political side the argument is that it is too risky to let young people of this age ride 125 cubic centimetre machines, and that reducing accident figures is the responsibility of the legislator. The background is the so-called Vision Zero, according to which the number of road deaths and severe injuries is to be brought down to zero in the long run. NMCU shares the view that action must be taken but argues for measures that reduce the risk without taking mobility away from young riders.
NMCU Ung: meeting young riders where they are
The association’s work with newcomers is bundled under NMCU Ung, a national initiative for riders between 16 and 25 years old. The approach is to reach young motorcyclists in their everyday lives, in schools, in local communities and at organised events. In terms of content it is about behaviour, attention and responsibility in traffic, and at the same time about the positive sides of motorcycling, meaning joy, freedom and community. The basic idea: a feeling of belonging and a positively framed, organised motorcycle culture are supposed to show young riders that responsible behaviour and enjoyment of riding are not opposites.
One important building block is road safety days at secondary schools. NMCU invites itself there actively and talks with the teenagers about the motorcycle, protective gear and maintenance. Chair Olea Anett Kvalsvik has, among other things, presented and explained airbag vests at such events herself. These days are coordinated together with the county administrations, emergency services, the Norwegian Road Administration and other stakeholders. The focus is on open dialogue rather than lecturing, and the feedback from participants is predominantly positive according to the association. Young riders take away that people listen to them and take them seriously.
Parents as a decisive factor
A central point in the association’s work is involving parents. NMCU describes them as decisive for road safety because parents shape attitudes, expectations and limits, often influence the choice of motorcycle and decide how important regular maintenance is taken to be. Legally they are responsible for riders under 18 anyway, including the technically sound condition of the vehicle. However, many parents have no motorcycling experience themselves and, by their own admission, do not know what is allowed and what is not.
To close this knowledge gap NMCU has developed digital parent evenings. The online format is intended to enable parents to take part regardless of place of residence, working hours and their own interest in motorcycles. The content covers practical knowledge, research-based findings and concrete advice, complemented by the possibility to ask questions and bring in personal experiences. The thrust is explicitly not to dictate rules or to warn, but to enable parents to conduct an informed dialogue about motorcycling with their children. Open exchange, shared knowledge and mutual trust are better preconditions for safe decisions than rules alone.
Conflict with police and Road Administration
NMCU sees a field of tension in the relationship between young riders and enforcement authorities. In Norway the Road Administration and police can show up unannounced at schools and inspect the motorcycles parked there while the teenagers are in class. After class the pupils may then find a vehicle that has already been flagged or ticketed without them having been present themselves. This practice leaves many young riders with the impression that they are being specifically targeted and that different rules apply to them than to other road users.
From the association’s perspective this feeling of stigmatisation is a problem. NMCU therefore argues for a structured dialogue between police, Road Administration and young riders. Vehicles that actually pose a danger should of course be taken off the road. The majority of defects are not that serious, however, and a conversation about how problems can be fixed would noticeably improve the relationship between inspectors and young riders. In parallel NMCU, together with other stakeholders, has set up locations where young riders can receive training and learn to maintain their motorcycles themselves.
Why a ban falls short from the association’s point of view
NMCU argues that the mobility needs of young people in this age group do not disappear if the A1 age limit is raised. Possible alternatives range from the ATV or UTV via the, often tuned, moped up to continuing to ride the 125 without a licence. Especially in rural regions with long distances and missing public transport this is a realistic danger. At 16 years the brain is also not yet fully developed, they read traffic situations differently than older riders and need more time to build up this ability. Driving lessons at the same time are expensive for teenagers without their own income, which is why the necessary knowledge must also be conveyed through channels other than the driving school.
It is precisely this gap that NMCU wants to fill with dialogue initiatives. The statements can be summed up in the organisation’s sentence: „We focus on responsibility, but we also emphasize the joy and freedom that motorcycling brings.” In essence the point is to put responsibility in the foreground without negating the joy and freedom of motorcycling. Lasting road safety arises, according to the association, through knowledge, good behaviour and responsibility, not through additional mandatory requirements. The approach is deliberately preventive, voluntary and dialogue oriented.
Cooperation and European connection
The work with young riders and parents takes place in close coordination with a range of partners. These include county authorities, national research institutions, road safety organisations, motorcycle dealers, police, emergency services and local volunteers. Each of these partners contributes its own expertise, from research on the behaviour of young people in traffic, through practical knowledge on maintenance, to analyses of accident consequences and preventive measures. In this way parents and young riders receive consistent, comprehensible and fact-based messages from several directions.
Beyond Norway’s borders NMCU is part of the European umbrella organisation FEMA. Under the presidency of Olea Kvalsvik, FEMA launched its own initiative for young motorcyclists in the same week in which the NMCU contribution was published. The first formal meeting of the young representatives of the member associations took place in April 2026, and the nominated delegates are meant to bring in the perspectives of their respective countries and talk together about current challenges and opportunities in Europe. The voice of young riders will, according to FEMA, play a growing role in the work of the organisation to keep motorcycling accessible, attractive and relevant for future generations. Kvalsvik justifies this focus among other things by saying that young riders themselves know best what it means to be young today, and that the message becomes more natural and credible when young people talk to young people.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Why does Norway want to raise the minimum age for category A1?
The background is high accident numbers in the age group of 16 and 17 year olds. In 2024 four riders under 18 died in motorcycle accidents. The Norwegian Road Administration is therefore considering raising the minimum age from 16 to 18 years.
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What effect would raising the age have according to research?
A study by the Institute of Transport Economics (TØI) on behalf of the Road Administration estimates the reduction of accidents with fatal or severe consequences in the age group of 16 and 17 year olds at around 34 percent. A survey of roughly 3,500 young licence holders at the same time shows that only about half would switch to a moped if the age were raised.
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What is NMCU Ung?
NMCU Ung is the Norwegian Motorcycle Union’s national initiative for riders between 16 and 25 years old. It bundles school visits, road safety days and other formats where dialogue with young riders is at the centre, accompanied by topics such as behaviour, protective gear and maintenance.
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What role do parents play in the NMCU measures?
Parents are considered crucial by NMCU because they shape the attitudes of young riders and are also legally responsible for riders under 18. NMCU offers them dedicated digital parent evenings with practical knowledge, research findings and space for questions, to make it easier to talk with their children.
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How does the NMCU approach connect with FEMA’s work in Europe?
NMCU is a member of the European umbrella organisation FEMA, which launched its own Young Riders Initiative in April 2026. FEMA’s president is Olea Kvalsvik, who is also chair of NMCU. Young riders from member associations are meant to exchange experiences across borders and influence the work of the associations.
➜ This article is part of our comprehensive overview: Motorcycle Law & Policy: Regulations, Court Rulings and Developments for Riders. Find all key information on this topic in one place.
- DR. O.K.WACK 2409DR. O.K.WACK Bekleidungspflege-/reparatur, Motorrad 2409 0.1l
