Sent: Friday, 24 February 2012 12:44 PM
To: Peter Hawker
Subject: Re: Some UMCQ Flyers.
G'day Peter.
The Queensland push for a total ban on alcohol for motorcycle & scooter riders, but not for all road users, is not based on logic or good science and it is obviously unfair.
The Independent Riders' Group (IRG) might consider a total ban on alcohol for all road users, including bicycle riders, but not a ban targeting just one small group of legitimate road users, us.
Cars injure and/or kill most road trauma casualties. A total ban on alcohol for bike riders would have little impact on the whole road toll. A total ban on alcohol for car drivers would mean a significant reduction in the road toll but would reduce revenue from taxes on the alcohol and hospitality industries and would probably reduce income from fuel and car sales over time. Road authorities need to be seen to be doing something without reducing revenue or upsetting big business or strong lobby groups like the RACV, NRMA, RACQ and others.
It is easier and less costly for road authorities to be seen to be doing something by targeting bikies. The public will believe the bureaucrats' spin that there's something wrong with people who choose to put themselves at risk by throwing a leg over a motorcycle or scooter. Consultation with stakeholders is avoided and/or manipulated, results sanitised. VMAC was a good example. Millions of our tax dollars spent on another series of shock horror TV ads, propaganda based on opinion not fact.
Road authorities want car drivers to know that the responsible thing to do is protect these poor sad bikies from themselves by legislating and taxing them off our roads. That opinion was published in the Australian Financial Revue a few years ago.
It's the same bigotry that said single mum's were not good people because they were single so it was for their own good that bureaucrats took their babies. Over-dramatic parallel? I don't think so. Road trauma is killing and injuring Australians everyday. People who are legitimately riding motorcycles & scooters. Riders' families are badly damaged. Most of this pain is caused by car driver error.
Drunk car drivers are a huge threat to all road users but road authorities want to target riders with an alcohol ban. This is not based on evidence. You have to query the bike bigots motives and prejudices.
It's about time generations X & Y learned how to stand up for their rights from the baby boomers. If they don't, they will lose them.
Many thanks
Damien
www.damiencodognottooam.blogspot.com
Friday, February 24, 2012, 8:02:18 AM, you wrote:
G’day Damien
I got these (Flyers on a Qld alcohol ban for bikes) emailed to me from a Qld fella.
Regards
Peter Hawker
PO Box 4062
KOGARAH BAY NSW 2217
Mobile: 0422 923 825
Email: peterhawker5@bigpond.com
http://mcssac.blogspot.com/
http://petesrallyadventures.blogspot.com/
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