Latest News

He's Doohan it for road safety

Oct 31, 2009

FORMER world motorcycle champion Mick Doohan is the new face of safe riding in South Australia.

Mr Doohan said a graphic new TV commercial, which superimposes everyday objects like phone boxes and trees on to a motorcycle track, should leave no doubt about the consequences of a street crash.

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Two wheels wins in crowded Sydney

Oct 28, 2009

Rising fuel costs, congestion, no parking, poor public transport and environmental concerns are driving up motorcycle use.

Yet, transport policy lags far behind and has failed to create equity for this growing group of road users.

Sydney Council’s move to free motorcycle parking one year ago has been widely applauded and embraced. Yet, the State Government has failed to create road toll and registration equity, and has inadequately invested in safety campaigns, according to the Motorcycle Council of NSW.

“The total spend on safety campaigns since 2003 has been less than four million,’’ Guy Stanford of the Motorcycle Council of NSW said. “But it makes economic sense to move to a scooter or small bike. The average car journey carries 1.1 people, rolling a tonne-and-a-half to shift just one person.

“Motorcycles are less than 200kg. A lot of people are shifting to motorcycles for convenience, initially because of the overstretched public transport system. But as petrol prices start to bite, it makes economic sense. There has been a big growth in 250cc bikes.’’

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Motorcycle Buyers Encourage to Take Advantage of Economic Incentives

Oct 12, 2009

Figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) show 82,601 motorcycles, scooters and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were sold in the nine months to September – a 14.4 per cent decline compared to the same period in 2008.

“The motorcycle market has faced a period of challenging economic circumstances and although down on the record highs of last year has remained resilient,” FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar said.

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Frontal Identification

Position Statement – Frontal Identification

In some States it has been proposed that motorcycles be fitted with some form of Frontal Identification, namely numberplates or decals. However, this proposal is not currently being investigated in NSW

Priority:– Medium

Where we are now:-

Investigations are currently underway in some States, notably Victoria, into the feasibility of fitting frontal identification to motorcycles. This frontal identification would most likely be a numberplate or decal.

Some stakeholders in road safety are of the opinion that motorcycle safety could be improved if motorcycle were to fitted with some form of frontal identification which would allow motorcycles to be ‘caught’ by speed cameras which photograph only the front of vehicles.

Road safety is a State based responsibility and while States sometimes agree to work co-operatively on issues in which they have a common interest they are not bound by this agreement.

While several States are working co-operatively to investigate frontal identification for motorcycles, the RTA has indicated at several meetings and in National Road Safety Strategic Panel (NRSS) documentation that they are not supporting this research but are investigation other means of identifying motorcycles.

One report has indicated that the cost of installing frontal identification decals on motorcycles in Victoria will be in the order of $12 million with an ongoing cost of $1 million per annum.

Before a proposal of this type is adopted it is necessary for a Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) to be prepared. A RIS includes estimates of the cost of implementing the proposal and the benefits of the proposal. For a proposal to be adopted the ‘benefits’ need to be greater than the ‘costs’. This is usually referred to as the Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR).

Initial indications are that the costs will be far greater than the benefits.

Where we want to be:-

While it is not currently proposed to introduce front numberplates or decals in NSW we need to ensure that this situation does not change and that we stay in touch with developments in other states.

We also need to keep in touch with what other means of identification that the RTA may be investigating.

How to get there:-

Work with the Australian Motorcycle Council (AMC) and rider groups in other states so that any Regulation Impact Statement (RIS) considers all the ramifications and costs of any proposed means of frontal identification.