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  • MAIDS

    The Motorcycle Accident In-Depth Study (MAIDS) is a study using the internationally agreed Case Control methodology for in-depth motorcycle crash investigations. This means that for every crashed...

  • Lane Filtering Trial

    At the MCC's Motorcycle Awareness Week launch in Martin Place, the Honourable Duncan Gay, Minister for Roads and Ports, announced that a trial of lane filtering for motorcycles in a section of the...

  • Order 'Highlights of the Road'

    Highlights of the Road is Charis and George Schwarz's book about their 40+ years of travelling the world by motorcycle. Proceeds from the sale of the book helped fund the Motorcycle Accident Rehabilitation Initiative (MARI) at St Vincent's Hospital. Sales of the book continue to help fund MARI. Highlights of the Road is no longer in print, however it can be ordered in PDF format or on CD from St Vincent's Hospital using the order form below.

  • Bylong Valley Way Improvements

    As a result of a cluster of motorcycle crashes in a short section of Bylong Valley Way, NSW Roads and Maritime Services (formerly RTA) and Mid Western Regional Council are completing improvements to the road using Federal Blackspot Funding. For more details see the files below.

  • GIO CTP "Pillion Passenger: No" Clarification

    The Motor Accidents Authority has responded to the MCC's request for clarification on the legality of GIO's CTP policies with "Pillion Passenger: No" line item.

  • Motorcycles help keep you young: software expert

    04/03/2009 - Riding motorcycles helps keep drivers young by invigorating their brains, the scientist behind popular "Brain Training" computer software said Wednesday, citing a new scientific study.Riding motorcycles helps keep drivers young by invigorating their brains, the scientist behind popular "Brain Training" computer software said Wednesday, citing a new scientific study.

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.