Thanks for that Rowdy. I checked out the site, and there is an online feedback form - submissions due by May 30th.
I'm not in Qld - just south of the border. So I don't know that I'm eligible to send in feedback. But this is what I would submit if I was:
Improving motorcycle safety:1. Improve the roads – there are known black spots. The particular problems are:
- Poor road surface – such as rough surface, potholes, gravel and other debris on roads
Poor visibility – such as blind corners, tall grass on inside of corners
Poor run-off areas – often with trees, fences, ditches etc. metres from the edge of the road
Poor road camber, encouraging traction loss
Dangerous intersections
Slippery road markings
Poor lighting
2. Improve the competence of ALL drivers and riders – not just motorcyclists.
- Most motorcyclists also drive cars – they can see the road from both perspectives. Most car drivers do not also ride bikes, and seem to view bikes as two-wheeled convertibles. Bikes have radically different performance dynamics to cars, trucks and busses.
ALL drivers/riders need to be educated about the different performance dynamics of ALL vehicles – this would lift the driving/riding competence of all road users.
All drivers need to understand the common threats they pose to motorcyclists
All motorcyclists need to understand how drivers respond to them on the roads
3. Collect good quality data on crash characteristics so that the right variables are targeted, and the wrong people are not victimised by poor policy.
Case in point:There was a motorcycle death on my road last week. It is a sealed road in a rural area. A bike had a head-on collision with a car on a blind corner. The road:
- had 2m high grass growing almost to the edge of the bitumen
has no center line markings
has no edge line markings
has no advisory speed signs on any of the corners
has an unrestricted speed limit
has poor camber, rough surface and potholes in many places
This road is almost purpose-built for killing motorcyclists.
