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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Road Design & Maintenance

Position Statement – Road Design & Maintenance

The methods used to repair the road surface affect motorcycle control and stability. The design of where roadside objects are placed has a major influence on the severity of injuries a motorcyclist receives in the event of a crash.

Priority:- High

Where we are now:-

Little regard is given to motorcycle safety when roads are designed and repaired. This situation is exacerbated when insufficient funding is available to design or keep roads to an acceptable standard.

The RTA’s Road Design Guide currently gives no consideration to what is good design in regards to motorcycle safety.

Road design features of concern to motorcyclists include:-

  • Slippery road marking paint
  • Slippery steel bridge deck joints
  • Crash barriers
  • Guide posts that are not flexible
  • Light poles, posts and signs that are placed close to the roadway

The types of defects that appear as road deteriorates that are of concern to motorcyclists includes:-

  • potholes,
  • cracks that are then repaired with slippery crack sealant,
  • polished & slippery surfaces
  • loose gravel

When roads are being repaired practices that are of concern include:-

  • Steel plates without skid resistance treatment
  • Rotomilling, the grooving of the road surface, without adequate warning
  • Sidetracks with loose gravel surfaces
  • Loose gravel when potholes are repaired
  • Loose gravel when the surface is repaired using a sprayed seal

Most of these issues are described in the Austroads “Guide to Traffic Engineering Practice, Part 15 – Motorcycle Safety” and recommendations are given on how to rectify them.

The RTA’s Traffic Control at Worksites Manual highlights motorcycle safety issues at worksites including the requirement that steel plates have a skid resistance treatment.

The Australian Asphalt Pavement Association’s (AAPA) Work Tip number 28 has requirements of the number of loose stones when using sprayed seals.

As the Motorcycle Council has written to all Local Councils asking what are they doing to implement Austroads “Guide to Traffic Engineering Practice, Part 15 – Motorcycle Safety”, all councils are aware of their obligations regarding designing and maintaining roads with regards to motorcycle safety.

The Motorcycle Council website has a Motorcycle Hazard Warning Form that motorcyclists can use to advise road authorities of defects that are a hazard to motorcyclists.

Where we want to be:-

The road environment is designed and maintained to an acceptable standard for motorcycle safety.

All procedures, design guides and other documentation regarding the design and maintenance of roads take in to consideration the needs of motorcyclists.

That road authorities respond in a timely manner to road defects that are of concern to motorcyclists.

How to get there:-

Continue to request that procedures and design guides are updated to include motorcycle safety.

Encourage motorcyclists to report hazards using the Motorcycle Council of NSW’s hazard reporting form.