Motorcycles
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Australia
compares unfavourably with other OECD countries in relation to
motorcycle safety. In 2000 Australia had 5.7 motorcyclist fatalities
per 10,000 registered motorcycles compared to the median of 5.1
fatalities for the OECD as a whole. This is in contrast to the overall
fatality rate of 1.5 per 10,000, which is below the OECD median of 1.9.
This suggests that there is room for improvement in motorcycle safety in
Australia.
Over the past
ten years, 2143 motorcyclists were killed of whom 2002 or over 93%, were
males. Motorcyclists are over-represented in crash statistics.
Nationally, one in ten road deaths are motorcyclists. In NSW, there are
2,200 motorcycle crashes reported each year. Motorcyclists represent 4%
of all road crashes, but account for 10% of all deaths and 7% of all
injuries. Almost two thirds (61%) of motorcycle crashes involve
collisions with another vehicle. |
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Get the Facts
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Consider the facts
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The average age of Australian motorcyclists is around
40;
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Motorcyclists aged between 22 and 40 are the most
commonly involved in road crashes;
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Motorcyclists are around 29 times more likely to be
killed than operators of other vehicles travelling the same distance;
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In 2003 188 motorcyclists lost their lives in road
crashes throughout Australia;
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91% of motorcyclists killed in 2003 were males;
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One in eight were 21 years old or younger; nearly six
out of ten were between 22 and 40 years of age, whereas only one in four
were over the age of 41 years;
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Hazardous road conditions were a contributing factor
in nearly one out of every four reported single vehicle motorcycle
crashes; and
- Four out of ten reported motorcycle crashes did not involve any other
vehicles.
What can be done?
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Road authorities need to develop an
understanding of how road design and maintenance affects motorcycle
safety. For instance road surface traction is more of a safety issue with
motorcycles than with other vehicles;
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The handling characteristics of
motorcycles are different to those of other motor vehicles, and simple
mistakes can have tragic results. Unlike other motorists, a motorcyclist
is not protected within a vehicle;
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Specific road issues that affect
motorcyclists’ safety include adverse camber on roads, poor line of sight,
landscaping and poor lighting. Unintentional hazards created by the
inappropriate choice or placement of road furniture such as steel covers,
traffic domes (silent cops) or lane markers can have disastrous results.
Road furniture in the road reserve such as light poles, signposts, bus
shelters and crash barriers may cause additional injuries if a
motorcyclist is thrown against them as a result of a crash. Removal of
roadside objects such as trees and utility poles and better advisory
mechanisms of road conditions are just some of the actions that can help
redress the poor status of motorcycle road safety in Australia.
You can help make a
difference. Insist your local, state and federal politicians fix aging,
congested roads, improve signage and lighting, to make travel safer for
kids, for our parents, for our friends – for everyone.
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