Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Helmet regulations in different countries...

This topic is mend to add all Helmet and special regulations for our 3Wheelers...just add yours in the same list


Luxembourg: Safty belt , Safty vest , no Helmet needed.

Umm, will this list be applicable to tourist visits and/or domicile residents..?

I'm of the belief that (excepting driving licences/permits) the laws applicable in the EU country of origin will suffice for visitors.

I don't know of any EU country where safety helmets are compulsory in a M3W..?

Here in America the M3W is registered as a motorcycle. Whether a helmet is required depends on variety of factors such as the state you are riding in, your age, whether the vehicle has an "enclosed cockpit", no helmet required, helmet always required or a mix of them. Bottom line, if you plan to drive a M3W on this side of the pond you need to know where you plan to ride or simply commit to always wearing a helmet.

These are interesting questions that I never fully clarified. The M3W is classed as a motorbike in France, so if you buy one, you need to have a motorbike licence. And if you ride a motorbike in France, you are supposed to wear a helmet. Therefore...

I always wore a helmet, especially because of my height, and I think it is a wise precaution for everyone. Being hit in the face at 80mph or more by a large insect would be unpleasant. A bird strike could kill you. And then there is stuff thrown up by vehicles ahead.

When I bought my M3W, I was expecting to have to go through the ludicrous procedure of passing a test on a three-wheeled Piaggo. However, at the same time, I was changing my British driving licence for a French one and I discovered that, although I have never been a biker, I have a bike licence! I do not think this is the case for younger people.

Well, as we all know, the Law is an ass. but an interesting question is the one you pose, SBM: if you arrive in France in a British-registered 3 Wheeler with all papers correct for Britain, is your licence valid if it does not include motorbikes?

And what if you bought one that was originally registered say in the UK and expored it to somewhere where you have to have wear a helmet and register it in the new country? Does it adopt the new regs, presumably?

Wrong, in Austria a Helmet is mandatory for a Threewheeler. Believe me, I already had an encounter with austrian police and at least some of them know valid legislation.

Ha! Having been fined for having the wrong coloured lights over there, I'm not surprised..

But as I asked earlier, is this for Austrian cars and drivers or any nationality?

It's important to separate legislation from regulations applicable to the vehicle and regulations applicable to the driver/occupants. It's harder to argue the latter, but the former should be catered for under EU derogation & agreements/exemptions.

I asked myself also about this question a long time (e.g. the german border is very close and as far as I know in Germany a helmet is not mandatory as long as you wear a security belt), but Austrian legislation seems to be one of the more restricted ones, at least in theory. Anyway, I would not like to drive without helmet, at least outside city limits, my head seems to attract flying stuff like a magnet.
So there was no point in further investigation for me, but I am still interested in this matter.

And regarding the license, I have A (unrestricted) and B, which is sufficient in all countries, I hope.

The EU in its 'wisdom' has declared a full bike licence needed to drive this 'car'. This came in with implementation of the third European driving licence directive.

My understanding is this was grandfathered everywhere, so if you had a valid licence to drive one before the implementation, you should have one now (19th January 2013).

In the UK, one should get group A with note 79 added when one renews a full car licence with a test date pre 19/1/2013. And this should satisfy any other country in Europe.

Additionally, the UK adopted the derogation that allows anyone over 21 with a valid car licence, to drive a trike but this is not exportable and won't even cover one on a trip to France (say) from the UK.