Motorcyclists to wear high-vis?

[Keepleft]

A VIC traffic cops proposal being considered by VIC GovCo with possibly national ramifications, its being discussed @ WP etc, I can't see the topics posted here, so:-

Motorcycle riders may swap leathers for fluoro vests

Australia's 1.3 million motorcycle riders would be forced by law to wear fluoro jackets under proposals splitting the biker and scooter community.

A country policeman has started a national battle over the possibility of compulsory hi-visibility clothing as part of a bid to make riding safer and reduce the toll of about 200 deaths a year from motorcycle accidents.

CONTINUES - see weblink to NEWS:-
http://www.news.com.au/national/bike...-1226451721963


A little different to other proposals before GovCo's to mandate two high-vis vest per car categories - for use at breakdowns and crash scenes.

[mcnews]

What an absolute crock. We will sit down and take this when car drivers are made to wear helmets....

[mcnews]

On the road safety subject, I hope it is okay by my friend Boris' to reprint one of his rants here, which is just oh so correct.
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Just recently, Wheels magazine initiated a campaign aimed at exposing the various governments’ speed camera racket. And it is a racket – in that it is a wholly dishonest practice that obtains money through fraud and extortion.

I think I might have spotted a little in glee when I saw it. Here was a major media player actually taking the establishment to task and questioning the insidious baloney of the speed camera cult. This, I thought, was something new and refreshing. Was it really possible that for the first time since the Vietnam War a major media outlet had decided it was going to do its job rather than simply perform as the disgusting propaganda arm of the State?

AMCN was cautious in its support for the Wheels crusade, but it did put up a link on its Facebook page, shortly after which two very predictable things happened.

The first was that the government immediately started issuing press releases citing “studies” that apparently proved that speed cameras were the superheroes in the War on the Road Toll and that without their gentle, nurturing benison, the “carnage” upon our highways would cease to be “carnage” and become “genocide” – whereupon even higher fines could be satisfyingly levied upon the hapless motorist.

The second thing that happened was that a sizeable herd of glass-tasters emerged from under their mossy rocks and began to bleat their stupidity at the world. Once upon a time, such retarded knob-holsters would never have been heard, but since the advent of the Internet and social media time-sinks like Facebook, some of the dumbest apes in our zoo have found a soap-box upon which to stand and give public voice to their absurdity.

“If you’re not speeding what have you got to worry about?” they bray.

“Speed cameras save lives!” they honk.

“The studies prove the cameras work!” they whinny.

It’s truly amazing. It’s like the government has its own cheer-squad.

I used to wonder if people could really be that abysmally stupid – but I don’t wonder about that anymore. People are that abysmally stupid. But because they would be terribly offended to discover how impossibly stupid they are, our rulers contrive to keep them ignorant of their own stupidity. After all, having slaves that know the truth (both about their dumbness and about the lies) is counter-productive and can lead to all sorts of undesirable outcomes. It is far better to keep the foolish servants distracted with circuses and spectacles, and reassured with empty promises of security and safety. And provided they aren’t hungry, they will let the rulers do whatever the rulers want.

And it works. Demonstrably well. The Romans had it worked out ages ago. Panem et circenses – bread and circuses is what kept the Romans from killing their rulers.

These fools actually believe the government when it tells them speed cameras are great and good. These fools believe the junk science the government uses whenever it wants to validate its propaganda. What is junk science, you ask? That’s when the government has a conclusion (ie. Speed cameras save lives) and then employs an organisation (like TAC) to conduct “research” to prove its conclusion.

Of course the “research” is not really research. If it was proper scientific research it would be open to peer-review (that’s when one’s peers in the scientific community examine your research to test one’s methodology and conclusions for scientific validity) and independent scrutiny. So it’s not research. It’s just ********. Rank and vile and all-pervading – but very effective, nonetheless.

No less a luminary that Adolf Hitler himself employed the methods our own government uses on us, to wit: “By means of shrewd lies, unremittingly repeated, it is possible to make people believe that heaven is hell – and hell heaven. The greater the lie, the more readily it will be believed.”

Peer-reviewed scientific research in other parts of the world has shown that speed cameras do nothing to reduce fatalities or trauma. “But the road toll is down!” shriek the government’s personal spastics.
Yes, it is. And this is why: Cars are safer. Trauma surgery is better. Roads are much imporved. Those are the real reasons the road toll is declining. That is the truth.

But that is not what the government presents as the truth.
It’s certainly not what its supporter-monkeys want to hear, is it?

People don’t like to discover they have been conned. People don’t like to discover they aren’t very bright (which is why they have been conned in the first place). And that is why, despite all the evidence that demonstrates time and again that the government is a dishonest herd of opportunistic ******** artists that obtains money from the electorate by deception and fraud, backed by self-serving junk “science”, a sizeable chunk of motorcycle riders (and motorists in general) will go on mindlessly supporting it.

Because to question what one is told requires effort and critical thought and…oh look! There’s a bright shiny sporting event on the TV! With fireworks! Look at all the sparkles!

Truly, people very much get the government they deserve.

[mcnews]

And something I wrote recently.....
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Motorcycling has never been safer (1080 words)
By Trevor Hedge

Encouraging results from recent crash figures released by The Bureau for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics, reinforce current trends that have seen motorcycle fatalities continue to fall across Australia.

Australian authorities recorded a 10 per cent decline in motorcycle fatalities, according to figures from April, 2011 to April, 2012. 198 motorcyclists lost their lives in the reporting period; while that number still represents unimaginable heartache for all those families affected, it is the best figure seen in seven years. Better still, the rate of fatalities per 10,000 registrations fell by almost 13 per cent in the corresponding period, to two deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles.

The more statistically significant long-term trend over ten years is an average 6.7 per cent reduction each year, leading Australian Motorcycle Council spokesman Shaun Lennard to say the following:

“This number is still way too high. Every single road death represents a tragic set of circumstances for everyone involved. But at least it’s a good sign to see the motorcycle toll now below 200. Below 100 would be far better.”

“We’re not getting overly-excited about just one set of figures – however the trend is continuing to go in the right direction,” Mr Lennard concluded. “Riding a motorcycle or scooter in Australia has never been safer.”

Analysing the last full year figures, 2011, where much more detailed information is available to highlight trends between various demographics over longer time frames yields more interesting points.

The decline in motorcyclist fatalities per registered motorcycle is down by 51 per cent, over the period 2002 to 2011 – a remarkable amount of progress.

Of the more populous States, Queensland, recorded their most encouraging data in 2011 with 2.87 fatalities per 10,000 registrations. The decade long trend shows a 7.5 per cent average decline in the deaths per registrations figures

New South Wales also recorded a significant drop in 2011 with their per-10,000-registration rate also falling to 2.87 and almost matched Queensland’s ten-year figure with a significant 7.4 per cent average drop over the decade.

Western Australia recorded its best figure in ten years during 2011 with 2.92 fatalities per 10,000 registrations. Their ten-year trend shows an average 4.3 per cent decline on the same data.

Victoria bettered WA’s ten year data with an average 5.7 per cent improvement over the ten year period with that State’s best recent figure achieved in 2009. A hefty rise in registration numbers in the years 2010 and 2011 saw a corresponding rise in outright fatality numbers, however, the per registration numbers still continue a promising drop in fatalities across Victoria. After recording 5.45 deaths per 10,000 registrations in 2002, Victoria almost halved that ratio in 2011 with a ratio of 3.05.

Over full decade figures, South Australia is the highest performer with an average drop over the years 2002-2011 of 7.9 per cent. From a worst figure of 7.75 deaths per 10,000 registrations in 2002 to a best of 2.17 in 2007, South Australia is doing well on long term numbers but did have a spike in 2011 which throws a dampener on their long term result.

Statistically, trends in the smaller States and Territories are harder to draw reliable trend data from due to the relatively small sample size. Yet, some trends can be seen, albeit not as statistically reliable as the more populous States.

The ACT suffered a bad spate of crashes in 2005 with eight fatalities but recorded only three in the most recent year. However, over a ten-year period the ACT is the only jurisdiction to have - in the long term - gone backwards in the deaths per 10,000 registrations average during the period.

In 2003 Tasmania recorded 12.82 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles, since improving to a best in nation 0.66 fatalities per 10,000 registrations in 2011. The State recorded only a single motorcycle fatality in 2011 according to the government data. However, AMCN believe that there could be an error in the Tasmanian 2011 figures with the correct figure believe to be three, rather than the quoted single fatality in the BITRE report.

The Northern Territory enjoyed fatality free years in 2003 and 2004 before a spike in 2008 with ten deaths giving the NT by far the worst result on the per motorcycle registered data. The NT recorded two fatalities in 2011 which is again a remarkable improvement over their disastrous 2008 figure.

Australia as a whole has recorded an average reduction of 6.7 per cent per 10,000 registrations over the past ten years with an excellent 12.7 per cent improvement if comparing the two most recent years.

187 male motorcyclists died on the roads during 2011 while the female tally was only 14. The data supplied by the BITRE does not identify the ratio of motorcycle registrations by sex thus it is impossible to draw any conclusions from that result.

With the supplied age results not using equidistant differences in age it is also hard to draw accurate conclusions from the data. The largest quoted figure of 75 deaths related to the 40-59 age group but with that bracket spanning a 19-year period and most of the other age brackets spanning smaller age gaps, it is hard to draw accurate conclusions of specific at-risk age groups. In the smaller 17-25 age bracket, 46 motorcyclists lost their lives in 2011 while 55 fatalities were recorded in the larger 26-39 age bracket. In the 60-69 age bracket 14 fatalities were recorded and six motorcyclists over 70 died on the roads. The three oldest age brackets have seen their ten-year trend figures increase while the younger brackets have improved their results. However, these figures are derived from outright figures and with many more motorcycles on the roads than earlier in the decade the actual results against the numbers of bikes on the roads would be expected to still be encouraging.

AMCN recently contacted the relevant Federal Government bodies and respective Ministers for a further itemised state-by-state breakdown helping to identify particular styles of motorcycle that are shown nationally to have a higher risk attached. We have yet to receive a response from the respective Government agencies.

Currently State legislatures have their own specific motorcycle safety programs with no coordinated national approach. This was a problem highlighted during the 2008 Motorcycle and Scooter Safety Summit but statutory authorities have been slow to act on those recommendations. In the lead up to the 2013 Federal Election this may be an issue concerned motorcyclists might wish to highlight to their Local Member.

[sbutler]

Originally Posted by mcnews

What an absolute crock. We will sit down and take this when car drivers are made to wear helmets....

Dont you mean glasses????????????

[Bluehoon]

I heard about this crock on triple m yesturday.
Like hell am I gonna lay down and take it. Just a matter of where do I sign up and start protesting.


Spoonman made one very interesting point... In the continued push for social engineering in the nanny states, why are push cyclists seemingly exempt from this contrive of rubbish?

[Bluehoon]

Another thought...

Why not up the levels of skills required to obtain a car license? Or is fixing the real root cause of the issues just too difficult?

[GhiaEB]

Whats the difference between this and bikes having the headlights on all the time?

Over here I often see learner riders in high vis with a big "L" on their back. Anything that makes the cage drivers see you better cant be a bad thing. Making it compulsory... Well I don't think it needs to go that far.

How many times do you hear about a rider getting hit and the car driver saying. "I just didn't see them."

[Bluehoon]

Originally Posted by GhiaEB

Whats the difference between this and bikes having the headlights on all the time?

Over here I often see learner riders in high vis with a big "L" on their back. Anything that makes the cage drivers see you better cant be a bad thing. Making it compulsory... Well I don't think it needs to go that far.

How many times do you hear about a rider getting hit and the car driver saying. "I just didn't see them."

In that case question needs to be asked...

1) What was the driver doing at the time of the accident?
2) Why was the driver given a license?
3) Why was the driver not looking at the rider?
4) Why was the car driving so close?

Just because the rider gets hit, as a result of a car driver which is gauranteed to be playing with the phone, make up, stereo or in a plain old daze not paying attention to the road....

Why shold motorcycle riders cop high vis gear as a legislative requirement when the root cause is people who shouldn't be driving, given licenses?

In NSW the road rules are seemingly engineered towards cyclists, give way right of way bla bla. Ride a motorcycle and you're on the butt end of the food chain. i can gaurantee anything with an engine will have some form of a tax on it whilst clover bloody moore and the loonie contingent get push bikes with specialised latte holders to sip n ride.

Double bloody standards, no matter how you look at it.

[GhiaEB]

Originally Posted by Bluehoon

In that case question needs to be asked...

1) What was the driver doing at the time of the accident?
2) Why was the driver given a license?

Just because the rider gets hit, as a result of a car driver which is gauranteed to be playing with the phone, make up, stereo or in a plain old daze not paying attention to the road....

Why shold motorcycle riders cop high vis gear as a legislative requirement when the root cause is people who shouldn't be driving, given licenses?

I agree with you 100% mate. But I do wear high vis wet weather gear every now and again while riding. It shouldn't be made a requirement. We are not children who need to be told everything to do by the gov. I'm a firm beleaver in personal choice.

[ohzone]

Perhaps we could pad the Hi-vis Jackets with cotton wool just like Australian politicions want to do with every other thing in this Country.
Life is risky, so where does it stop?, who's next, Pedestrians?
The cops don't even wear full leathers in Perth!


QUOTE: Nationally, 201 pedestrians died in 2007 (12% of all road fatalities)2.

http://grapevine.net.au/~mccluskeyar...d_casualty.pdf

[gcg2503]

The Fonz wouldn't have looked as cool with a high-vis vest

[brydie76]

Not entirely sure about this. You can run into the issue of drivers inadvertently target-focusing on riders who wear hi-vis, potentially causing another separate crash due to inattention/end up hitting the rider due to purely being focused on them (go where you look). Yes, you need to be visible on a bike, but you can be too visible IMO. (mind you, I wear all black on my black scooter except for a bright pink helmet haha!)

[2011G6E]

Look...the headlight on my huge 2008 GSX1400 is hardwired on...if you miss an enormous bike with a glaring headlight, what chance do I have if I wear a stupid little vest...?

There have been studies showing that helmets in cars would reduce head injuries by a staggering amount...even pushbike-type helmets would do the trick.

Good luck getting that one past car drivers though...

[comagutsa]

cage drivers cant even see a headlight so how are they going to see high vis clothing

what load of ****

[sprint347dave]

they should be made to mount at least 1 of those flags on the pole on the motorbike aswell

[OzJavelin]

You could have flashing lights and siren on a motorbike and most car drivers would still miss it .. Fluro vest won't help.

[InTrail]

So they want to mandate hi-vis clothing, but it's ok for a 2-wheel virgin to hire a 50cc scooter and venture out into highway traffic with an open face, singlet and thongs.

[fat4D]

What a load of rubbish, and like the police are one to try and set standards, motor cycle cops can't even seem to put a jacket on in summer. How bout they start leading by example and every time they jump on they have a proper jacket and pants. This is one thing that as a daily motor bike rider annoys me to no end when I'm there wearing the safety gear we should all be wearing and a cop rolls up boots, normal pants, just a t-shirt, gloves and open face helmet. And these are the people that I'm sure have seem what someone's face looks like after skidding down the road on their chin. What kind of example do they set? And yes I'm aware this is a generalisation and I'm sure there is some motorbike cops that lead with a great example

[b0son]

what good will a high-vis jacket do if a driver doesnt even look for a bike in the first place?

[vanman_75]

Bloke at works wife killed a man a few months ago ( cut out in front of bike ) trying to find every reason to blame the bloke on the bike , he already admitted she was talking to a real estate agent when she was driving .....so wasn't looking , f me when will people take responsibility of there actions ...as above hammer drivers not all the things they hit .stupid rule from a terrible government study .I for one will protest and cop the fine regardless .

[csv8]

Sorry repost. I posted this a few days ago in the Two Wheels section

[Nikked]

Hells angels patches on high-vis jackets?

[Franco Cozzo]

[2011G6E]

Given that we motorcyclists are continually told how vulnerable we are and how "intrinsically dangerous" motorcycles are, how about making it a far more serious offence for a car to hit one? I mean, not keeping a good eye out for a "more vulnerable road user" means that you are not driving safely and considerately.

The latest adverts from down south that show a car pull out in front of a motorcyclist from a T road and him hitting the side of the car show two examples...if the bike had been doing 60 instead of 65kph, he would have had time to go around behind the car, instead of hitting the side, so be careful bike riders.

No mention in the advert of the f-wit in the car who illegally pulled out in front of the damn bike in the first place...the whole advert puts the blame for the accident fair and square on the biker, with no blame on the driver for pulling out in front of him...

[mik]

bikers are harder to see than cars, some bikers ride in blind spots as car drivers do to trucks, i would happily wear hi vis coat /jacket if i was a biker, humans are unpredictable any chance to be seen might be a life saver, especially in our congested city`s .

[vanman_75]

Originally Posted by mik

bikers are harder to see than cars, some bikers ride in blind spots as car drivers do to trucks, i would happily wear hi vis coat /jacket if i was a biker, humans are unpredictable any chance to be seen might be a life saver, especially in our congested city`s .

Seriously it would make zero difference..we got headlights we got bling...poor driver attitudes and awareness is hard to fix .

I ride to survive ...if I left it up to the average motoristi would be dead by now .yer it sounds good in theory but if everything on the road was forced to look like a canary , then it would blend in in 5 minutes ...and back to where we started .this is not a solution for anything

[jmack]

why dont we all just dress up in a michelan mans suit,this country is rapidly going to the dogs.it gives me the .... all the time when u get these so called experts that look at somthing and are scared to do it so therefore it must be dangerous so lets change everything.working off a ladder is another classic some people are scared of heights so they declare anything over 2m is dangerous.maybe we should put hi vis vest on poles and trees as i seen alot of them knocked down yesterday obviously it was their fault and not the cars

[jmack]

Originally Posted by vanman_75

Seriously it would make zero difference..we got headlights we got bling...poor driver attitudes and awareness is hard to fix .

I ride to survive ...if I left it up to the average motoristi would be dead by now .yer it sounds good in theory but if everything on the road was forced to look like a canary , then it would blend in in 5 minutes ...and back to where we started .this is not a solution for anything

thats true as a bike rider or truck driver you learn quickly to judge a persons driving style and counteract it,you are just not controlling your vehicle but putting yourself in the vehicles around u to pre-empt their actions

[OLDFORDNUT]

Funny thing ive noticed since buying my Harley,
when riding my various suzuki's yamaha's Honda's drivers of cars dont seem to notice me or care, fast forward to last October when i brought a 1996 wideglide Dyna with loud exhaust drivers far more curtious,moving over regulary to let me pass without going into other lane(young and old) even those dangerous old people from the vast amount of retirement villages around Hervey Bay actually stop at give way and stop signs till i pass where before owning my Harley i had at least two close calls a week now with Harley one every few weeks, i dont ware hi vis and have a flat black helmet (hard to see) whereas before i wore bright coloured full face helmets that were easy to see day and night and always with headlight on on both jappas and harley;