Front Numberplates

Front numberplates on motorcycles were fitted in the UK as a result of the British Motor Car Act of 1903 (Edward VII), which also introduced heavy fines for speeding and reckless driving. This was followed in NSW by the similar Motor Traffic Act in 1909.

History of fleet

When a pedestrian is hit by a motorcycle, it is either a glancing blow and the pedestrian is knocked over, or it is a “T-Boning” with the front wheel of the motorcycle going between the legs of the pedestrian. In the case of glancing blows, the edges of the front numberplate would slash the pedestrian. In the case of a “T-Bone”, the numberplate could sever both leg arteries in the groin area and the victim could bleed to death before the ambulance arrived.

They were similarly dangerous to bicycle and motorcycle riders.

As a consequence, front numberplates were removed in most countries, including Australia, over 30 years ago.

The small transverse plate phased out in the mid 1970's.

The Vicroads proposal wants front numberplates re-installed.

Other countries don't need them

The only countries in the world that continue to use front numberplates are India and Singapore. So far, Australia's road safety record surpasses both of these countries.

No other countries have found front numberplates to be necessary.

Where automated speed cameras are used, cameras turned to face the rear of the vehicle capture all vehicles successfully.

Motorcycles are ignored in Transport Policy and Roads Policy

The word “motorcycle” does not appear in the Transport Plans for most States in Australia.

Again and again, motorcycles are treated with ignorance, assumptions and contumelious disregard by road authorities. The road authorities often fail to consider motorcycles and then fall into a defensive position to hide their failure.

Witness the many problems, including a lack of motorcycle safety programs, unsafe E-tags, overcharging for tolls, unsafe roadside barriers, unsafe road maintenance practices (steel plates, spray sealing, etc).

Motorcycles are single track vehicles while cars are “dual track”. Motorcycles are Vulnerable Road Users, yet receive few of the “accommodations” in road management that are accorded to pedestrians or bicycle riders. Motorcycle riders are the only Vulnerable Road User that pays any form of road tax.

Motorcycle Safety Strategies in Australia only appeared after the Motorcycle Council of NSW published “Positioned for Safety” in June 2002. This was the first motorcycle safety strategy in Australia and the first in the world produced by a motorcycle rider organisation.

Motorcycles are rarely included in Vulnerable Road User programs and are certainly the “poor cousin” when it comes to expenditure. In NSW, motorcycle safety has received less than $2.5 million since 1995, while pedestrian safety programs receive around $7.8 million per year and bicycle safety programs receive around $5.6 million per year

The National Road Safety Strategy Expert Group has repeatedly refused to consider a National Motorcycle Safety Strategy.
Motorcycle specific issues are not understood by road authorities.
Worse than this, it appears motorcycle issues are misunderstood, but believed to be understood. This forms a barrier to healthy constructive communication and co-operation.

Introduction of front facing cameras ignored motorcycles

The first speed cameras deployed were in Western Australia in 1988, with general introduction in 1990 (Vic), 1991 (NSW) and 1996 (Qld)

Cameras were initially deployed to capture the rear of the vehicle.

Vicroads found it necessary to capture the front numberplate of a semi-trailer as the “responsible vehicle”. The trailer it is towing may be registered to other companies. So Vicroads and others established speed camera policy to accommodate this, to photograph the front of the semi-trailer. This policy also suited collection of tolls by toll-road operators in Victoria. This policy ignored motorcycles.

In 1995, the heavy vehicle fatigue management system Safe-T-cam was installed, with front-facing cameras. This did not consider motorcycles.

It would have been a cheap and simple solution to supply all prime movers with a duplicate plate to fit to the trailer they are towing. Fitment problems would certainly be significantly less.

There are around 75,000 prime movers registered in Australia and a fleet of around 540,000 motorcycles.

Vehicle Census

Policy failure is now blamed on motorcycles

Having ignored motorcycles, Vicroads is now demanding that motorcycles be made to fit their failed policy.

Vicroads expects motorcycle riders to pay for this policy failure.

Vicroads proposes that motorcycle owners pay for fitting front numberplates.
That'll cost about $70 to $150 for each motorcycle.
With around 550,000 registered motorcycles in Australia, that means riders will be told to pay up $80 million for this proposal to retro-fit the entire motorcycle fleet to fit this paragon of public policy.

Then, riders be subject to a $10 million “re-education campaign”, to tell them what a good idea it is. Some would call this a propaganda campaign.

Especially when there is no sound basis for the policy

This proposed policy will fail to achieve its claimed objectives

Vicroads claims that speeding in excess of the speed limit is the CAUSE of 45% all motorcycle crashes. Not true

Vicroads also claims that the ONLY reduction in motorcycle crashes will occur as a result of speed enforcement. Not true.
(e.g. in NSW, total expenditure since 2002 on motorcycle safety programs has been less than $3 million, yet motorcycle crashes have remained relatively static despite an increase of around 34% in numbers of motorcycles in NSW)

Misuse of statistics is used to raise public hysteria and fear.
Some statements are fanciful.

International in-depth motorcycle crash studies do not show that speed is the major factor

International in-depth studies of motorcycle crashes in Europe, Thailand, USA do not support the contention that speed is the major factor in motorcycle crash causation. Poor braking and cornering, not having a crash avoidance space and other drivers failing to give way are the real causes.

MAIDS - Europe - Motorcycle Accident In Depth Study

US - MSF site with links to In Depth crash studies

Focus on speeding means overlooking other factors

When a motorcycle crashes, the fallen rider can collide with roadside objects that will hurt them.

Roadside fitments designed to be hit by a car are not friendly towards riders.

Motorcycles are “single-track” vehicles and like bicycles, have different characteristics in curves. They are sensitive to road surface hazards such as loose gravel, steel plates or deep corrugations.

Road authorities have contumelious disregard for these differences.