For a free copy of this DVD call 03 8682 2653 / 4.
For a free copy of this DVD call 03 8682 2653 / 4.
PARLIAMENT OF VICTORIA
ROAD SAFETY COMMITTEE
Inquiry Into Motorcycle & Scooter Safety
Submission by the Independent Riders' Group.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011. 4.30 to 5.30 pm.
The Independent Riders' Group
The IRG began in 2007 as a response to the need for grass roots representation for road riders in Victoria. The IRG's roots are in the Motorcycle Riders' Association (MRA) dating back to 1978. It began as a motorcycle & scooter riders' safety and rights think tank. There was no formal structure. Ideas and expertise were taken from a range of people with experience riding in traffic in this state, interstate and overseas. It has had a very positive response from the motorcycle community. The IRG will formalize its' structure and take memberships in the new year.
Presenters
DAMIEN CODOGNOTTO OAM, 61, bought his first motorcycle in 1967. Motorcycles have been his primary transport for most of 44 years. He has represented motorcyclists on local, state and federal committees over decades. He was founding President of the MRA in 1978, was awarded an MRA Honourary Life Membership in the 1980s and an Order of Australia Medal in the 1990s. At the start of the 1990s he wrote the terms of reference for the last Road Safety Committee into Motorcycle Safety. He retired as MRA President in 1998 but has stayed active as a lobbyist for riders. Damien still rides.
MICHAEL CZAJKA, 48, bought his first motorcycle in 1983. Motorcycles have been his primary transport for 28 years. He estimates he has ridden around 2 million kilometres city and country. He joined the MRA in 1986 and served as the MRA Road Safety & Research Officer for many years. He has represented road riders on local state and federal committees for most of 20 years. He was awarded an MRA Honourary Life Memebership in the early 1990s. Michael still rides.
GEORGES GOURON, 66, bought his first motorcycle in France in 1961. In France novice riders aged 16 begin on mopeds Georges says this makes them safer car drivers. Motorcycles have been his primary transport since 1973. He joined the MRA in 1985 and worked as a volunteer for the association as in various roles including lobbying. He has ridden motorcycles all over the world including most of Europe. He rode overland from to Australia and around Australia. He particularly likes the Americas making two long trips to South America. He covered 205,000 kilometres on each of his last two bikes. His current bike has only 25,000 kilometres on it, but Georges will to increase that.
Background
Since the last Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into Motorcycle Safety reports in 1992 and 1993 the motorcycle & scooter community has grown steadily. Powered two-wheelers are not a fad. Bikes are a legitimate choice whether it's commuting, touring, trail riding or competition, more people are going motorcycling. However, road authorities who have a duty of care for ALL road users, seem unable to recognise this simple fact.
The Victorian Auditor General's Report on Motorcycle & Scooter Safety came out in February 2011. In part it said:
"Motorcycles and scooters are increasingly popular forms of transport. Over the eight years from 2002 to 2010, motorcycle and scooter registrations increased by 58%, from 102,400 to 162,091, and the number of licence holders rose by 36% to 325,977.
These vehicles are being used for:
· * daily commuting, because they are a more efficient way to travel in congested traffic and are easier and cheaper to park
· * recreation, especially along popular tourist roads such as the Great Ocean Road and in the Yarra Ranges.
* off-road riding where people use trail bikes on tracks and pathways in state forests and on private land that are not part of the public road system
FEDERAL CHAMBER OF AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRIES media release, October 13, 2011:
"Motorcycle sales in Australia continued to grow significantly in the third quarter of 2011. … In the 9 months to the end of September, 77,129 (new) motorcycles were delivered to Australian customers, … an increase of … 4.5% … over the same period in 2010.
… sales of scooters also continued to expand, with the segment growing 12.1% YTD when compared to 2010. Strong growth of scooter sales and the resilience of overall road bike sales suggests commuters are finding motorcycles to be a practical solution to high fuel prices and inner city traffic congestion."
THE AGE. JULY 15, 2011. By Ian Munro:
"… As relatively low-speed urban transport,motor scooters are not prominent in accident statistics."
Bike registrations more than doubled in the 2000s and licence numbers increased by over a third. In spite of increased numbers, serious injuries and fatalities from bike crashes have decreased in real terms.
This graph is from the Victorian Motorcycle Council's submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry. It is shown here with Rob Salvatore's permission. The VMC submission was compiled and written by Rob Salvatore B.Eng Mech (Hons) with contributions from Bronwyn Sorenson B.Psych.Sc (Hons), Stuart Strickland retired Managing Director of Honda MPE Australia and Steve Scheffer experienced career-rider.
The VMC submission is at
and the graph, is on page 6.
The graph covers 3 decades and shows clearly the reduction in deaths from motorcycle & scooter crashes. There is no evidence to suggest that motorcycling in Victoria is safer than it has ever been.
The Elephants in the room.
One elephant is the positve data on motorcycling that VicRoads/TAC/Police just don't look for. Another is the attitude to motorcycling that too many in road authorities have to motorcycle and scooter riders. In the Inquiry Terms of Reference (K) can't lead to positive outcomes until government stops the bike bigotry among public servants.
Ian Munro reported in The Age on July 15, 2011 (submission 80):
"… As a state parliamentary inquiry uncovered more than 20 years ago, the state roads, licencing and registration authority, VicRoads, had a policy of 'not implementing any programs that could be construed as encouraging motorcycling'.
Having decided motorcycling was inherently risky, VicRoads thought it best to do nothing to make it safer in case this encouraged more people to take it up. VicRoads has formally abandoned the policy but in the licencing system its' legacy seemingly lingers. …
"… Mark Collins, national manager for Honda Australia Rider Training, which trains 20,000 annually … VicRoads has a position that training is of no value because there's no scientific proof of diminished crashing. Unfortunately they were quoting from papers in Scandinavia where drivers are being taught to drive on ice."
Vic Roads and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) combine with police to make a very big elephant in the motorcycle & scooter safety room. The bias against powered two-wheelers exists. Credible people like Ian Munro and Mark Collins publish their opinions on the antibike bias in The Age.
VicRoads may have "officially" abandoned it's antibike policies but, to me, the unofficial antibike policies are an elephant in the room.
VicRoads firmly controls the advice the Minister of the day gets from the new Motorcycle Advisory Group (MAG). MAG was set up to replace the Victorian Motorcycle Advisory Council which was firmly contolled by VicRoads. VicRoads can "veto" who represents riders on MAG. Dissenting voices are not welcome. VicRoads takes care of MAG minutes and records. VicRoads is secretive about motorcycle & scooter projects and research.
Wire Rope Barriers
A threat that most road riders are extremely worried about is wire rope barrier (WRB). But it does not get a mention in the terms of reference for this Inquiry. Who wrote the terms of Reference?
VicRoads has a massive investment in WRB so that institution may have a conflict of interest when it comes to both safety and cost shortcomings of WRB. Stakeholders are not allowed to see VicRoads data showing that WRB does protect all road users. The Monash University report on WRB crash tests conducted at Laverton around 2001 has never been fully released.
THE RSC INQUIRY INTO CRASHES INVOLVING ROADSIDE OBJECTS, March 2005. The Executive Summary. Page viii:
"The Committee noted a number of areas where crash information was missing or could be more detailed. The difficulty in obtaining adequate data, in particular travel exposure information to better assess crash risk and target safety treatments, is a continuing issue in Victoria, coming up time and time again in Committee inquiries. Governments agree to improve crash information, yet crash and crash risk information continues to be an impediment to the improvement of roadside safety in Victoria. Crash information recording and publications need to be greatly improved."
VicRoads continues to install WRB right next to the road denying life-saving clear zones or run-off areas to riders. The RSC report and stakeholder complaints were ignored by VicRoads.
The Committee found nine metres is no longer world's best practice for the minimum clear zone distance for high-speed high-volume roads, such as freeways, and has recommended that this be increased. Clear zone widths should also be reviewed to take into account the vehicle speed-slowing effects of different road shoulder and roadside surfaces, especially in view of the recent widespread provision of sealed shoulders on Victorian roads."
Blame the victim
TAC spends vast amounts of our money on shock/horror advertising campaigns to tell drivers that riders deserve no respect on the road and to tell riders that it is their responsibility to "reduce the risk". Blame the victim.
TAC is a semi-government insurance company. TAC is a monopoly. TAC sells a compulsory product. TAC has no need for a corporate image, marketing department or spin doctors. The money TAC spends on self-promotion through expensive ad campaigns and various sponsorships is a disgraceful waste. That money should be invested in the welfare of victims of road trauma, better rehabilitation facilities, better home-recovery systems and real medical and safety research.
TAC's research is mostly market research. It's what you do when you want to introduce a hamburger or hair wash to a potential market.
TAC's Board has 9 directors. All are well-qualified in administration and finance in one form or another. None have much experience in transport or roafd safety, let alone experience of motorcycles & scooters on today's roads in Victoria.
GORDON RICH-PHILLIPS MLC, ASSISTANT TREASURER. March 2011. Letter to the IRG:
"… I unequivocally concur that road safety and road transport issues are important. I expect the TAC and its' Board to consider such items at all times where appropriate so that the TAC can meet the needs of the Victorian Community. …"
Riders contribute financially to both the transport system and the economy in general. Road rider costs include a registration fee, the cost of the anachronistic registration label holder and potential associated fines is extra.
The TAC compulsory third party (CTP) insurance premium and the discriminatory TAC tax of over $60 on most road bikes are included on the registration bill, but the TAC antibike tax is not shown.. No other transport type is subject to this type of rip off. The TAC antibike tax should be abolished.
Whether it is legal/ethical to present a bill where an item is not listed or costed is a matter the RSC should consider.
It costs more to keep a medium-sized motorcycle on the road in Melbourne than it does a 4WD. Most riders own cars so they pay road costs at least twice. Most car drivers have no motorcycle or scooter experience.
TAC premiums do not reflect powered two-wheelers' benefits to society in reduced pollution, traffic congestion, car parking shortages, damage to infrastructure and injury crashes. Commercial insurers offer incentives for safe road users in the form of no-claim-bonuses and reduced excess.
A comparison of public money on bicycling and motorcycling, at all levels of government, clearly shows motorcycle & scooter riders are being treated unfairly. TAC's motorcycle & scooter premiums, ads and policies are the elephant in the room.
The Victoria Police claim that 71% of riders are at fault in serious injury crashes is not credible. A rider by the side of a road who can't remember what happened is written up by an officer probably not trained or experienced enough to make an accurate assessment of the crash site. No other vehicle's involvement is obvious so the crash is deemed single vehicle and therefore the rider is at fault.
Statistics
To many road safety statistics used to justify motorcycle & scooter countermeasures are at best unreliable like the police' 71% figure above.
Statistics aimed at telling the public what riders' thoughts and morals are would not be tolerated by any other form of transport.
The use of fatality figures only is also misleading. The numbers are too small to be statistically relevant. ALL serious injury crashes should be included. The relatively small number of bike crashes where person dies may be good for media releases when converted to a percentage but they are misleading and bad for road safety.
Bike sales figures do not include the second-hand market.
TAC focus groups are market research not good road safety science.
Too many "research organisations" rely on revenue from the road safety authorities who prepare their research briefs so results can lean towards road authorities' theories. In a specialist area where the road authority has little or no expertise this can have negative effects.
Victoria needs to go back to an independent road authority if it wants to take the next step in road safety.
Terms of Reference
K is the term of reference that asks about the elephant in the room.
(k) the ways government can work with non-government stakeholders to achieve motorcycle safety outcomes.
The ways government can work with non-government stakeholders to achieve motorcycle safety outcomes is to work with the stakeholders. To do that, government has to change the unwritten policies, the antibike bias, in VicRoads/TAC/Police. That is seeing the elephant and removing it from the room.
Preparing for the Inquiry.
In preparing for this Inquiry the IRG saw DVD documentaries on our system of government. We recommend them. The phone number to get free copies posted out is 03 8682 2653 / 4.
FROM WESTMINSTER TO SPRING STREET begins with a quote from Winston Churchill:
"… democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others that have been tried."
The DVD continues:
"…A functioning democracy where the population's wills and needs are taken into account by elected leaders … " The RSC is made up of our elected leaders.
"When you have a society that does not have a voice, you have an oppressed society. … In Victoria the government is supposed to be accountable to the people. The overall principle is the rule of law. No one is above the law. Another of the principles of democracy is that the Premier, his staff and the public service are accountable to the Parliament and through the parliament to the people of Victoria.
The men who drafted the Victorian Constitution were determined that no single person, or group of people, should wield unfettered power, so they thought to confine the power of the parliament and government by various checks and balances to ensure that power is distributed, balanced and restrained, particularly within the institutions of government. The aim was to protect the liberty of the individual."
US PRESIDENT, BARAK OBAMA SAID:
"… if people are paying attention then we get good government and good leadership. When we get lazy, it results in bad government and politics."
The Independent Riders' Group
Melbourne
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