PRO WRB LOBBYIST

Sean Lennard’s words on wire rope barrier (WRB) and motorcycle crashes sound credible but they are based on opinion. See the article in Motorbike Writer. The link is below.

Australian crash data is simply not reliable enough to say "there have only been a handful" of casualty crashes involving motorcyclists hitting WRB. 

Studying the injuries caused by collisions with various roadside objects and the three most common barrier types is close to impossible, at least in Victoria in 2017.

Apparently Mr Lennard is again Chairman of the Australian Motorcycle Council (AMC)?

It does nothing for bike safety when a well-known motorcycle lobbyist speaks out in favour of a barrier that so many riders are afraid of and that common sense tells us is a threat.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/road-safety-barriers-leave-no-margin-for-error-country-fire-captains-warn-20171226-h0a434.html?promote_channel=edmail&mbnr=MTM2NjQwMjc&eid=email%3Annn-13omn654-ret_newsl-membereng%3Annn-04%2F11%2F2013-news_am-dom-news-nnn-age-u&campaign_code=13INO008&et_bid=29109961&list_name=44_age_newsalert&instance=2017-12-26--20-33--UTC

http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/5141241/wire-barriers-limit-access-to-calder-fires-crashes/?cs=80

http://news.benallaensign.com.au/2017/12/27/4626/stop-wire-rope-barriers-says-ryan

https://motorbikewriter.com/wire-rope-barriers-criticised/#comment-367488

COMMENT ON SEAN LENNARD’S QUOTE IN MOTORBIKE WRITER

There is no evidence of the number of motorcycle, scooter or bicycle riders killed or injured in collisions with wire rope barriers (WRB) in Victoria because police do not routinely collect data on the type of barrier or roadside object a rider collided with. 

This fact has been documented in three Victorian Parliamentary Inquiries. That's with fatals as well as serious injury crashes. Cross referencing injuries from casualty bike crashes seems all but impossible. If it is done, it is kept very quiet. 

The 2012 Inquiry into motorcycle safety stressed the lack of reliable road safety data and recommended that a crash data research authority be set up independent of VicRoads/VicPol/TAC. That is a fact. 

We may know how many casualty crashes there are in this state each year but we do not know how many fatal and serious injury crashes involving a rider hitting a type of barrier, tree or fixed object happen because the data is not collected from crash sites. Mr Lennard's assertion that "there have only been a handful" of fatal bike crashes involving WRB has to be based on opinion and road authoritiies' spin.

Road authorities have a huge investment to protect. 

Riders are being killed and horribly injured on our roads. There is a lack of reliable information about the crashes. The Independent Riders Group leans towards safety and assumes the worst case scenario. We fight for the removal of WRB because there is no evidence to show it is safer than other types, or safer than no barrier in most situations. 

Certainly more run off areas would be preferable to WRB right next to the road for riders, drivers with a break down and our emergency services.

DAMIEN CODOGNOTTO OAM

INDEPENDENT RIDERS GROUP

MELBOURNE

MOBILE:  0419 846 855.

TRAVEL WARNING 2017/18

MAINLANDERS travelling to Tasmania on two and three wheelers should note, some 60% of the island state's road casualties are tourists. "... interstate motorcycle riders make up nearly half of all visitors seriously injured or killed on Tasmanian roads.".

Tassie is probably the best place in Australia to ride a motorcycle or scooter.

If you are riding in Tassie this summer, be aware that:

1.  the roads are subtly different to mainland roads. Take time to adjust.
2. The weather can change quickly, particularly on the west coast.
3. The car drivers behave slightly differently, often because they are international tourists with low skills, rubber necks and conditioning to be on the wrong side of the road.
4. Beware road kill. There's wildlife on the roads as well as in the pubs.

This excellent map/leaflet is available free on the ferry. Use it.

Ride safe and enjoy this very special Australian state.

Damien

IRG

 

MRA 40 YEAR LUNCH - MAY 5 2018

https://www.facebook.com/events/272064936622344/?active_tab=discussion

PARKING PROBLEM

Life would be a lot easier for all, especially Victorian riders visiting Tassie, if the island state simply adopted the same bike parking rules as Victoria. Victoria's free, unlimited footpath bike parking (provided you don't block pedestrians etc) has worked brilliantly for around 30 years.

Damien
IRG

VICROADS AWARD?!?

This award does not tell me that VicRoads is doing good things for the motorcycle & scooter community, it tells me VicRoads expensive spin doctors are doing good things for VicRoads.

Damien
IRG

The Melbourne Herald Sun. December 14, 2017.

THE FATHER BOB TOY RUN VIDEO

PORT MELBOURNE

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2017.

https://youtu.be/Z15Xtt5Ha9M

Damien
IRG

BEWARE OF BIKE BIGOTS

AS A MOTORCYCLE LOBBYIST FOR FOUR DECADES I've seen plenty of examples of prejudice and bigotry against the motorcycle & scooter community.

Some bigotry is in decisions made by road authorities.

The decision VicRoads made to spend $4 billion on wire rope barriers between 2015 and 2020 while country roads are dangerously neglected is an indirect example.

The ignorant and arrogant lights-on law (2015 GLS) requiring novice riders to have their headlights on at all times is a more direct example. The author did not know that most motorcycles & scooters on Australian roads are hard wired, probably 99% of bikes used by novice riders have their headlights permanently on. One phone call to a bike shop would have saved Dr Douglas the embarrassment.

The most direct and dangerous bike bigotry is on-road in decisions made by car drivers conditioned to say "I did not see the bike" after a collision. Road rage against motorcycle & scooter riders is real and it can be deadly.

In recent months three large "patch" clubs toured Tasmania in groups of 300 to 400. Two were 1% clubs. One was a Christian bike club.

Police spent up big on road blocks and overtime and flying officers in from Victoria and NSW. With over 1000 "bikies" riding and partying round the Island State, the papers said there were a few minor charges laid and one minor prang involving locals following one national run. I was staying in a hotel in Devonport when hundreds of bikies rolled in. I reckon it was the best behaved pub in Tassie and not a cop in sight.

Before any of you start, I know there are some very bad bastards that ride motorcycles & scooters. But not all who are called bikies are bad. Just as not all pushbike riders or car drivers or pedestrians are bad, some but not all by a long shot.

The media had plenty of police quotes on how unwelcome the bikies were in Tassie. But The Advocate surprised even me with quotes from a retired god botherer calling on people to "pray for God's destruction of these evil groups".

WHAT!?!

So when you're out there over the Christmas break, beware the bike bigots behind the wheel. They are as dangerous behind the wheel as drunks and texters and incompetents.

Ride Safe into the New Year.

Damien Codognotto OAM
Independent Riders Group
Melbourne
Australia

DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF. GO SEE YOUR MP!

DAVID HODGETT
OPPOSITION MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE

November 2017.

Dear Mr Hodgett.

What are your plans for motorcyclists if you become Roads Minister after the coming Victorian Elections?

Rod Brown

From: David Hodgett <David.Hodgett@parliament.vic.gov.au>
Date: 4 December 2017 at 12:08:15 pm AEDT
To: "'rod.brown72@gmail.com'" <rod.brown72@gmail.com>
Subject: FW: What is your future list plans for motorcylists, if you are elected Roads Minister in the upcoming state elections?

Dear Rodney,

Thank you for your correspondence concerning the Coalition’s support for motorcyclists.

As a holder of a full motorcycle license myself, I am firmly aware of the positive aspects and benefits that come with owning your own motorcycle as well as the benefits to the public, as you have outlined.

The Coalition believes that more can and should be done to support all motorists, including motorcyclists. Indeed, given we all pay registration fees, the government has a duty to maintain and improve our road infrastructure as well as respecting those who choose to utilise non-car modes of travel by not unfairly penalising or disadvantaging them. As an example, we have just released our policy to remove 55 of Melbourne and Geelong’s worst intersections which will result in widespread benefits for all road users across our metropolitan areas (more information can be found at http://www.getvictoriamoving.com.au/ ).

The Coalition also remains fully committed to promoting and supporting any initiatives which facilitate a reduction in our road toll, which we believe remains far too high. That being said, I concur with your assessment that we should not be unfairly singling out one particular type of road user as being responsible for the majority of road accidents. Road safety is indeed a shared responsibility between government, relevant authorities and all road users.

Regarding your specific concerns with the Motorcycle Safety Levy, I have noted these and I am happy to consider your feedback on this matter as we continue to develop our policies towards next year’s State election.

Thank you once again for your correspondence.

Yours sincerely,

David Hodgett MP

State Member for Croydon
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party
Shadow Minister for Roads and Infrastructure
Shadow Minister for Ports and Freight

GO SEE YOUR OR WRITE TO YOUR MP!

www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members

Damien Codognotto OAM