www.facebook.com/independentridersgroup
It raised traffic filtering laws that would restrict riders and compulsory dayglo vests in the US. Similar problems to OZ but the yanks give a damn about their rights and a significant number of them actually do something about protecting them.
The legislative bother Australian motorcycle & scooter riders find themselves in has more than one cause.
Rider behavior gives road authorities excuses to recommend and too often make laws that restrict riders. Crazy commuters lane slpitting at speed and boy racers on public roads damage our cause.
But our bureaucracies are way to strong. Bureaucrats tell our elected representatives what to do and we make it easy for them by electing gutless MPs because we are too lazy to think about our law makers and their policies.
I know people at VicRoads who consider making a law a career-significant move. It doesn't matter how their work effects the average Victorian when there's a promotion to be had. They give the Minister their version of advice to further restrict riding because it is dangerous. They use their media unit to spin it just right so car drivers accept it.
TAC takes a discriminatory and immoral $75+ a year tax off most riders. Many don't even realise it, but that OK, the Minister is too gutless to do anything about it. Car drivers thinks it's good and most riders just accept it.
Police blitz number plate holders and helmet cameras and pull up safe riders when there a lunatics in cars really doing the wrong thing, putting lives at risk. The drivers get away with it because police patrols are in safe areas pulling up riders. Have a look at the King Lake / St Andrews Road one weekend.
Most of the bureaucrats generating antibike propaganda and proposals in OZ are car drivers with little or no expertise in on-road riding. They consider motorcyclists to be easy targets because we are stupid and we just lay there and take it.
The political apathy in the motorcycle & scooter communities in OZ is another reason we get bad laws, taxes and blitzes with little or no road safety benefit.
How many of you reading this have been to your MP's electoral office and told the staff how you feel? What you want? It's not hard. It just takes a bit of time. How many of you have actually asked for an appointment and met your MP? Don't tell me. I'll get depressed.
And, motorcycle & scooter business people are just as politically apathetic.
There are more than 1.3 million road bike licence holders in OZ. If just 1% (13,000) of them went to see their MP in a month things would change. This is an election year in Victoria. We go to the polls in November 2014.
MAKE MAY MEET YOUR MP MONTH!
www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members
We are losing our freedom. It's your democracy. Use it or lose it.
Call 03 8682 2653 for a free copy of this tax-payer funded DVD. It is worth watching.
No comments:
Post a Comment