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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Motorcycle Accident Rehabilitation Initiative (MARI)

MARI & St Vincents
MARI Biker

St Vincent's Hospital has established an identification and rehabilitation initiative for riders injured in motorcycle accidents who present to the Hospital's Emergency Department.

The program, referred to as MARI (Motorcycle Accident Rehabilitation Initiative), has been enabled by a $30,000 donation from George and Charis Schwarz following the successful sale of their photographic journal Highlights of the Road.

George and Charis' motivation in raising funds for riders was to support the longer-term physical injuries and social and emotional problems experienced by riders following an accident. Their feeling was that these problems were not properly identified and supported by current health protocols.

Their concern correlated with a recent accident injury study by Steven Faux, Lachlan Donaldson and Kathryn Brooke of St Vincent's Hospital Rehabilitation Medicine Department.

'When George and I spoke about this a few months back he was pretty amazed that we had found the very same thing through our study,' says Dr Faux, Director, Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Services at St Vincent's.

'The study of over 180 motor vehicle accidents found that almost half were motorcycle accidents, and of these only one-third were given support and assistance in addressing some common rider concerns. For example: What has happened to my bike? How will I earn a living while I am injured? What do I need to do about insurance?

MARI is collaboration between St Vincent's Emergency Department, Rehabilitation Department and Social Work Department to better address these concerns. The program ensures that riders presenting to the Emergency Department are properly identified for follow-up support by rehabilitation and social workers.

This also extends to riders who have accidents but are not admitted to St Vincent's Hospital. In these circumstances, a face-to-face interview or a telephone interview with a social worker will be arranged, to assist riders with insurance issues, provide short-term funding entitlements, and make sure they have access to proper medical and psychological treatment, if needed.

The MARI fund, established with George and Charis' donation, will finance a number rehabilitation packages for riders who do not have access local hospital or community support following an accident or who require more rehabilitation than previously offered.

MARI Body

The fund will also provide support to collect data on people injured by motorcycle accidents for St Vincent's Rehabilitation Department. The Department anticipates this may be the precursor of better provision of psychosocial services to all victims of motor bike accidents.

For further information on the St Vincent's Hospital MARI fund, please contact:

Fabio Macey
St Vincent's Hospital Fundraising Department
Phone (02) 8382 2360
fmacey@stvincents.com.au

For further information on "Highlights of the Road" and George and Charis' fundraising appeal, please contact:

George Schwarz
Phone (02) 9361 6452
gschwarz@iprimus.com.au
Charis & George

Cheques to the MARI Fund should to be made payable to:

St Vincents Hospital Sydney Ltd - Trust Fund
Account MARI TF880845

and sent to:

St Vincent's Hospital Fundraising Office
390 Victoria Street
Darlinghurst NSW 2010