Rider Safety
Stay safe and stay upright. Here you'll find info on
safe riding, crash stats and links to safety campaigns
and other safety sites.
And don't forget to request our free Rider Training CD
Rom.
Be sure to check out the Latest TAC motorcyclist safety campaigns
Motorcycle Crash Data
Before you hit the road
Of the 287 people killed on Victoria's roads in 2011, 49 were riders of motorcycles, representing 17% of the road toll. Motorcycles represent less than 4% of the number of registered vehicles in Victoria, and account for around 1% of vehicle kilometers travelled. Around 8% of Victorian licence holders hold a motorcycle licence
Of the 49 motorcyclists killed in 2011:
• 94% were male,
• 57% occurred in rural Victoria,
• 47% were involved in crashes between the hours of 10am and 6pm, and
• 39% of deaths occurred on roads sign posted at 100km/h or more.
• 53% were involved in single vehicle crashes, 20% were invlolved in head on or overtaking crashes and 14% were involved in crashes with another vehicle at an intersection.
There's plenty more thought-provoking stats at the TAC Safety web site, but here's one more for the road. In 2009/10 alone, nearly a thousand riders were seriously injured. Maybe it's time to get some protective clothing?
In 2010/2011 there were 948 claims for motorcyclists involving hospital admissions.
For more motorcycle stats relating to crashes including crash types, gender and age visit the TAC Safety motorcycle crash data pages
Ride Smart CD Rom
It doesn't hurt to tune up your riding skills
To make it easy we've created a free Ride Smart CD Rom full of exercises to keep you sharp on the roads. Designed by experienced motorcycle trainers and instructional design experts, the disc provides training on a range of crucial riding skills like hazard perception and decision making. The CD Rom consists of 102 exercises and can be completed over several sessions.
Ride Smart is especially useful for new riders, but can also be valuable to more experienced riders who want to brush up on their skills. The tutorials will take you through many different riding locations: around town, on the freeway and in rural areas. You'll need to make decisions, test your memory as well as your ability to predict what other road users might do next. You'll see what happens when you take risks, or don't concentrate and, just like everyday life, you'll also have to deal with other people's mistakes.
Ride Smart is free, so if you hold a Victorian motorcycle permit or licence simply complete the form below to receive your copy.
Ride Smart, look smart
Once you complete Ride Smart, you'll have the chance to win great prizes. Every three months we give away four $200 vouchers to spend on selected protective gear. Simply click the registration button after finishing all the exercises and follow the prompts. For the latest competition information, view the Terms and Conditions (PDF, 24k).
Troubleshooting
Please note: to use the Ride Smart CD ROM you will need the following system requirements:
64MB or higher; x4 speed CD-ROM or higher;
Sound Card and speakers; Screen resolution of 800 x 600,
16 bit; Microphone; IE 5 or higher; Netscape 4, Safari or higher
PC - Pentium 2 or higher; Windows XP or 2000;
Macintosh - Macintosh G3 or higher; Mac OSX 10.2.2 or higher
Having problems with the CD Rom? View our Troubleshooting file (PDF, 45k) for assistance.
Cornering
The most important factor for any rider on any road when cornering, is to enter at the correct speed. This can only be achieved if and when the bike has been correctly set up prior to entering a corner.
Early braking, good down-changing to the appropriate gear, and the correct road position will allow the rider to lean the bike, negotiate the bend under smooth acceleration until the exit can be visualised, and then accelerate through to the exit point.
The routine would be the same for the next corner. Extreme road camber, double apexes, double back corners and decreasing radius corners are all common on the Great Ocean Road, for example.
There is no room for error - if you accelerate into, or brake late into a corner, it may have serious consequences for you.
When cornering, observe all road speed and advisory speed signs - they are there to assist you making decisions as you approach them. You need to share the road with other users, particularly oncoming traffic. Ask yourself "where is my head" - on your side of the road or on the other side of the road?
On the many tight corners, watch out for oncoming traffic, and do not cut over double lines as there is sure to be someone coming from the opposite direction. Take a wide line, don't fully commit until you can see through the corner. Cranking it over in a corner is not fun if you get a large vehicle embossed on your forehead!
Sight distance is the key to safe cornering. Adjust your speed accordingly. Remember, you can't see around corners.
Allow for other vehicles of all types who may go wide or cut corners. It can all happen in a split second - be aware.
Remember:
• you cannot see around corners,
• ride to your personal ability,
• stopping sight line,
• anything could be around the corner.
Fatigue
The true cause of many fatigue crashes is sleep deprivation. It's not merely a case of how long your trip is, it is also a case of how much sleep you have had in the nights leading up to the ride and the time of day you are riding. Riding without sufficient sleep can be like riding intoxicated. Fatigue impairs your ability to perform critical functions of riding:
Slower reaction times - fatigue affects your ability to react quickly in the same way that alcohol does. In fact, being awake for 17 hours has the same affect on your driving ability as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05.
Lack of concentration - your short term memory, and ability to process information is significantly decreased as drowsiness increases. This means that errors in calculating speed and distances are more common.
Reduced vigilance - fatigued riders are more likely to try to avoid hazards, and relax their efforts in situations that demand gradual consideration, such as slowly decelerating to avoid colliding with a vehicle ahead.
Fatigue is one of the major contributors to fatal crashes in Victoria, and is suspected to be a primary cause of approximately 20 to 30% of road fatalities. Most fatigue-related accidents occur during normal sleeping hours, and the more severe the crash, the more likely it is that the driver or drivers were fatigued. Fatigue is attributed as a likely factor in almost one third of single-vehicle crashes in rural areas.
And yet many people believe that fatigue is only a problem for long-distance riders and drivers, or that it's a problem that develops during the journey. The truth is that people don't become fatigued from riding - they're already tired when they get on the bike. Long hours, shift work, lack of sleep, and physically demanding roles all take their toll on riders.
What are the symptoms of fatigue?
Fatigue is easy to detect. Some of the more easily recognised symptoms include:
• Yawning
• Sore or heavy eyes
• Slower reaction times
• Finding you're daydreaming or not concentrating on your riding
• Travelling speed creeps up or down
• Impatience
• Impaired riding performance such as poor gear changes
• Stiffness and cramps
Other symptoms include loss of motivation, difficulty in concentrating and deterioration of judgement.
Beating rider fatigue
Rider fatigue is not like other road safety hazards.Unlike drink-riding or speeding, tiredness is not a crime - but it can be just as fatal. However, like drink-riding and speeding, riding when you are tired is a matter of choice, and you can take the following steps to prevent it.
• Get a good night's sleep before heading off on a long trip
• Don't travel for more than eight to ten hours in any one day
• Take regular breaks - at least every two hours
• Don't drink alcohol before your trip. Even a small amount can significantly contribute to rider fatigue.
• Don't travel at times when you'd usually be sleeping.
Take a 15 minute powernap if you feel yourself becoming drowsy.
Riding for the conditions
Set your speed according to your surroundings. Damp sections can pose particular problems for motorcyclists, as do loose surfaces like gravel and dirt. Often there is a build up of loose stones on winding or steep roads, moss in the centre of road between car tyre marks, so extra caution needs to be applied in these conditions.
Motorcycling to many people is a new experience. Often overrepresented in accidents are first-timers - or those not used to the conditions. Consider this when asking friends to ride in a group. Your friends may be not as good as they think - if you have a concern on a particular aspect of their ability, then make sure you communicate with them. Read tips from fellow riders.
Consider rider-training courses for yourself, club or group. If you are a 'born again biker' your riding skills may not be what they used to be. There are great courses available to update your skills, and by doing one of these you may even be able to get a rebate on your insurance, or from your club.
Also beware if you or your friends are on an unfamiliar bike, as its dynamics may be very different to those you're used to.
Before you ride, dress appropriately for the weather conditions as much as you can. We all know that Victoria is notorious for four seasons in one day, however it is important to dress appropriately for your ride, whether it's 30 degrees or pelting with rain. If it's too hot for protective clothing, then it's too hot to ride - full stop.
Reconstruction , April 2012
This campaign communicates the speed impact relationship for a motorcyclist. Underlying this is the importance of adhering to the speed limit to reduce the severity and probability of a crash.
This campaign is about educating riders on the physics of speed and that ultimately, you cannot defeat the laws of physics no matter how experienced or skilled a rider you are.The TVC component is modelled on the Reconstruction campaign developed for car drivers in 2006 which also featured Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Peter Bellion.
The key proposition for this campaign is to successfully demonstrate the effect a small amount of speed can have on trauma outcomes.
Campaign development:
Speeding is a significant contributor to serious road trauma across all road user groups. Vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists are especially at risk of death or serious injury when a crash involves significant speeds. Research shows that small increases in the average travel speed can lead to substantial increases in the numbers of road users killed and seriously injured.
The TAC’s vision is to make speeding socially unacceptable just as we have with drink driving. With regards to motorcyclists, an examination by Victoria Police between May 2002 and April 2003 of a sample of fatal crashes involving motorcycles indicated that 38% of riders were exceeding the speed limit prior to the collision 1. In addition, surveys conducted by the TAC from 2009 through 2010 show that more than one in four riders self-report speeding for at least half the time that they ride. Over half of this group report speeding “all or most of the time”.2
Last year, 49 motorcyclists were fatally injured on our roads. 31% of which, excessive or inappropriate speed was a contributing factor.
Campaign objectives:
- Reduce the number of speed related fatal motorcycle rider and pillion incidents.
- Educate motorcycle riders and pillion passengers about the impact of speed related road trauma on vulnerable road users - communicate that in the event of a collision at speed, the likelihood of a fatal injury is significant.
- Make riders aware that they can greatly reduce their chance of a crash by travelling at a speed that is within the posted speed limit and appropriate for the conditions.
View further information on this campaign with topics covering
References
1. Victoria Police (2003). Major Collision Investigation Group (MCIG) fatal motorcycle crash study report.
2. Transport Accident Commission. (2011). TAC motorcycle tracking survey – Wave 2 report.
Motorcycle Anti-lock Braking System - ABS
Motorcycle ABS may help motorcyclists to avoid crashes by reducing braking distance in the event of a wheel lock-up and therefore supporting stability of the motorcycle when in hard or emergency braking conditions. It becomes active when electronic sensors detect that the wheels are about to lock and consequently moderates the pressure in each brake thereby preventing skidding.
Motorcycles with ABS technology have been shown to be involved in fewer crashes on the road and therefore should be high on the priority list for any rider looking to buy a new motorcycle.
Why do I need it?
Research shows that motorcycle ABS offers significant safety benefits to riders, via reductions in stopping distances and increased stability. ABS is associated with significant reductions in crashes. (See Teoh (2010), Rizzi, Strandroth and Tingvall (2009), Roll, Hoffman and König (2009) for more detail on the effectiveness of motorcycle ABS).
To summarise, this research shows estimates of reductions in crashes attributed to ABS:
- range from a 17% to a 38% reduction in injury crashes, and
- range from a 37% to 53% reduction in fatality or serious injury crashes.
In addition, data from insurance agencies in the USA show that motorcycles with ABS have 22% fewer insurance claims than motorcycles without ABS (Highway Loss Data Institute, 2009).
Closed circuit testing by Vavryn and Winkelbauer (2004) has shown that stopping distances can be reduced by between 5% and 10% and that deceleration rates can be improved by 18% and 35% when comparing ABS with non ABS motorcycles.
Consider the example of a rider with average experience travelling at 100km/h. An estimated braking distance of 58.5 metres is needed to bring the motorcycle to a complete stop in this scenario. With the same bike and rider but the addition of ABS the distance is reduced to 49.5 metres, a reduction of 9 metres in the stopping distance.
*Source: Kuratorium fur Verkehrssicherheit, Wien, 2002
The effectiveness of ABS does vary according to the conditions, with the advantage of ABS being greater in wet or lower grip situations (i.e. loose road surfaces), than in dry high grip conditions.
How does ABS work?
A skidding wheel takes longer to stop than a wheel that is gripping the road surface, and reduces stability of the motorcycle. ABS prevents skidding by moderating the brake pressure applied to each wheel, preventing wheel lock and mitigating rear wheel lift, and thereby enabling a shorter stopping distance and more stable stop.
*Image courtesy of Bosch
Motorcycle ABS operates similarly to ABS in passenger cars however:
- motorcycle braking requirements are different to passenger cars, as front and rear brakes receive separate rider input
- dynamic load change at the wheels is more pronounced with motorcycles than with passenger vehicles
How do I use ABS when riding a motorcycle?
ABS automatically activates when wheel lock is imminent in heavy braking conditions. ABS provides the right amount of pressure to wheels, allowing riders to brake as hard as they can, without the risk of wheel lock. In this way a rider who “grabs” or “jumps” on the brakes as a result of being faced with an emergency situation is able to quickly apply the brakes as hard as possible without the fear of needing to compensate for a wheel locking up.
Are there different types of ABS?
While the term ABS is used across motorcycle makes, there are variations in the braking systems that are combined with ABS and the types of ABS technology used with these systems. Some motorcycle makes also offer traction control in combination with ABS. Traction control systems are different to ABS. Traction control is independent of ABS and complements it, in that traction control acts on vehicle control and stability under acceleration, rather than under heavy braking.
What should I do?
ABS is now available on a range of motorcycles, either as standard or as an optional feature. ABS should be a priority when buying a motorcycle. Ask manufacturers or dealers about whether the model you are interested in has ABS.
A list of some motorcycles that have ABS is available.
References
Highway Loss Data Institute (2009). Insurance Special Report: Motorcycle Antilock Braking System (ABS). December 2009, A-81.
www.iihs.org/research/topics/pdf/hldi_abs.pdf
Rizzi, M., Strandroth, J. & Tingvall, C. (2009). The effectiveness of Antilock Brake Systems on motorcycles in reducing real-life crashes and injuries. Traffic Injury Prevention, 10 (5), 479-487.
Roll, G., Hoffman, O., & König, J. (2009). Effectiveness Evaluation of Antilock Brake System for Motorcycles in Real-World Accident Scenarios. Paper presented at Enhanced Safety of Vehicles Conference, 2009: Stuttgard, Germany.
www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/esv/esv21/09-0254.pdf
Teoh, E.R. (2010). Effectiveness of Antilock Braking Systems in Reducing Fatal Motorcycle Crashes. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: Arlington, USA.
www.iihs.org/research/topics/pdf/r1110.pdf
Vavryn, K. & Winkelbauer M. (2004). Braking Performance of Experienced and Novice Motorcycle Riders – Results of a Field Study. Paper presented at International Conference on Transport and Traffic Psychology, 2004: Nottingham, UK.
www.psychology.nottingham.ac.uk/IAAPdiv13/ICTTP2004papers2/Performance/Vavryn.pdf
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Bosch for providing information about the technical aspects of motorcycle ABS and to FCAI for providing information on which motorcycles have ABS as standard or an option.
About the crash scenario
An analysis of TAC data on fatal and serious injury crashes involving motorcycles in Victoria over the five years 2007 to 2011 showed that more than one in five of these crashes involved a multi-vehicle crash with one of the vehicles turning. In the great majority of fatal crashes (80%), the turning vehicle was the car (or truck) with the motorcycle travelling through. The configuration of the crash depicted in the television commercial, then, is reasonably representative of a typical crash type occurring on Victoria’s roads.
More than one-third of all motorcycle crashes occur because a car driver did not see the motorcyclist, or did not see them until it was too late to avoid a collision. Often drivers will report that they “looked but failed to see” the motorcycle (Refer to Why do drivers ‘look but fail to see’ motorcyclists? section below fore more information)
In this crash scenario, was the driver at fault?
A driver facing a stop sign control under the Road Rules must give way to all vehicles travelling along or turning from the intersecting carriageway. However there is a case law that states, "You cannot give way to something you cannot see. In this ad scenario, the driver looked but the motorcyclist was out of the field of view of the driver because of his 68km/h travel speed.
If a vehicle is found to have been speeding in this circumstance, fault is attributed more to the speeding vehicle rather than the vehicle facing the stop or give way sign.
What can I do to reduce my risk of being involved in a crash?
There are a number of ways in which riders can reduce their risks on the roads. These include:
Travelling at or below the speed limit - Speeding increases the risk of a crash and being killed or seriously injured. The faster the travel speed, the less time there is to react, and the longer it will take to brake or take evasive action. Evidence also suggests that excessive speed by motorcyclists may reduce their ability to be seen by other road users, making collisions and injuries more likely1.
Wear bright clothing - One of the reasons for drivers’ failure to see motorcyclists is due to the low level of contrast between the motorcycle/rider and the background.
Recent research shows that a high level of colour contrast between the motorcycle and the road surface enhances the visibility of motorcyclists to car drivers2. Motorcyclists should wear a brightly coloured or reflective helmet and clothing. Yellow, orange and red are colours that stand out against most backgrounds. Black gear may be popular but can easily camouflage a motorcyclist in traffic.
Use the headlights - Research has found that motorcyclists who use their headlight during the day are less likely to sustain severe injuries in a crash than motorcyclists who do not use their headlight3. Improved conspicuity may alert motorists to the presence of motorcyclists earlier, giving them more time to respond in the event of a potential conflict. Thus, riding with the headlight on during the day can greatly increase a rider’s chances of being seen, especially on dull days. If riding during the day, motorcyclists should always use low beam.
Positioning on the road - Motorcyclists can increase their ability to see and be seen by other road users by choosing the best position to ride on the road. On a multi-lane road, motorcycle rider trainers recommend riding in the right-hand wheel track when travelling in the left lane, and riding in the left- hand wheel track when travelling in the right lane. This is particularly important when approaching an intersection or other conflict point where the driver’s line of sight will be restricted.
Observe, anticipate and respond - Taking measures to increase the likelihood of being seen is important but does not guarantee that motorcyclists will be seen or that road users will obey the road rules. It is critical that motorcyclists take responsibility for their safety at all times. The key ways in which riders can reduce risks are to:
- continuously OBSERVE the road
- ANTICIPATE what may happen that could be a risk to the rider, and
- RESPOND by taking appropriate action before the risk increases.
Rider trainers recommend that, by adhering to these actions, motorcyclists can reduce their chances of becoming caught in a risky situation that may require sudden braking or sharp swerving to avoid a crash.
What else is the TAC doing in this area?
The TAC has worked on a number of campaigns and projects to create awareness of motorcyclist safety directed at both riders and drivers. These are viewable on the previous campaign page
TAC is also involved in
Ride Smart – a training product for motorcyclists on a range of skills such as hazard perception and decision making and also
Drive Smart – a training product for drivers on a range of skills, including hazard perception of small objects.
THE SCIENCE AND RESEARCH BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN
What is the relationship between speed and crash severity?
A moving object possesses energy because it is moving. This type of energy, called kinetic energy, is proportional to the square of its speed (i.e. the speed multiplied by itself). When the object is decelerated, this energy has to go somewhere. If a vehicle is gradually decelerated under braking, the energy will mainly be lost through wear to the brake linings and the heating up of the brake assemblies as the linings wear. If a vehicle is rapidly decelerated by crashing into an object, most of the energy will be lost in creating damage to the vehicle and the object it strikes. When a motorcyclist and a car crash, the energy will be shared between the car, the motorcycle and the rider. Where the energy transmitted to the rider exceeds the threshold of body tolerance, he or she will be injured.
Higher speeds at the time of impact are associated with more severe injury outcomes because of the greater amount of energy involved. As the kinetic energy of a moving object is proportional to the square of its speed (i.e. the speed multiplied by itself), a small increase in speed results in a significantly higher increase in energy. In the scenario depicted in the advertisement, the rider would only have been travelling twelve percent slower if he was travelling at 60 km/h rather than 68 km/h, but he would have around thirty percent less kinetic energy to lose in the event of a crash. Thirty percent less energy could have made a significant difference to the severity of his injuries.
What are the likely injury outcomes for riders at different crash speeds?
The graph below is based on data from a study which reviewed the crashes in which 1,273 motorcyclists were killed or injured4. It can be read as a predictor of the probability of the motorcyclists being killed or seriously injured at a particular impact speed. The probability is relatively low up to an impact speed of 25 km/h where it is about fifteen percent. It then begins to rise rapidly. At 50 km/h it is seventy percent and by 75 km/h it reaches ninety-five percent. In this study, a relatively high proportion of the motorcyclists were un-helmeted (around twenty-three percent of those who sustained a severe head injury) compared with the norm for Victorian motorcyclists. Helmet use would likely have reduced the severity of injury outcomes in crashes at impact speeds less than 50 km/h. At impact speeds above 50 km/h the protective effect of helmets is less significant. The graph should therefore be considered as indicative rather than definitive.
Percentage of Motorcyclists Killed or Seriously Injured by Impact Speed 4
Why do drivers ‘look but fail to see’ motorcyclists?
Crash statistics suggest that the “looked but failed to see” phenomenon accounts for up to 80% of crashes that occur at intersections.
“Looked but failed to see” usually refers to occasions when a person completely fails to notice an object, but in some cases the driver can look, see, and misjudge the traffic situation.
Even when drivers do see an oncoming motorcycle, they are more likely to turn in front of it compared to a car travelling at the same speed and distance. This is because motorcycles are smaller than cars, so drivers perceive them as being farther away. This means that if a motorcycle rider is speeding, a car driver will judge the motorcycle’s “time to arrival” as being much longer than it actually is – because the driver believes that the motorcycle is travelling slower and is farther away than it really is. As a result, the driver may turn across the motorcycle’s path. Evidence also suggests that excessive speed by motorcyclists may reduce their ability to be seen by other road users, making collisions and injuries more likely.1
In addition, motorcycles are small and often dark in colour, which means they can blend into the background and be difficult to identify – this is known as “crowding” and is most likely to occur when the visual environment is very cluttered, such as urban environments with a lot of other vehicles, buildings, or other background objects. When crowding occurs a driver may see a motorcycle but may mistake it for a bicycle (which would move much slower than a motorcycle), or may otherwise misjudge how the motorcyclist is going to move.
References
1. Kim, K. & Boski, J., (2001). Finding fault in motorcycle crashes in Hawaii – environmental, temporal, spatial and human factors. Transport Research Record, 1779, 182-188.
2. Roge, J., Douissembekov, E. & Vienne, F. (2012). Low conspicuity of motorcycles for car drivers: Dominant role of bottom-up control of visual attention or deficit of top-down control? Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 54 (1), 14-25.
3. Quddus, M., Noland, R. & Chin, H. (2002). An analysis of motorcycle injury and vehicle damage severity using ordered probit models. Journal of Safety Research, 33, 445-462.
4. Kraus, J. F., Riggins, R. S., & Franti, C. E. (1975) Some epidemiological features of motorcycle collision injuries: Part II - Factors associated with severity of injuries. American Journal of Epidemiology. 102(1): 99-109.
333333Previous Motorcycle Safety Campaigns
New Campaign Urges Riders to Reduce the Risks (60sec) 2009
The new campaign reminds riders about the types of risks they are exposed to every time they ride and that no matter who is at fault, riders are more likely to come off second best in the case of a crash.
Protective Clothing - Motorcycle (30sec) 2008
Protective Clothing - Scooters (30sec) 2008
This campaign was developed to highlight the risks associated with riding without the appropriate protective clothing and focuses on two key rider groups; motorcyclists and scooter riders.
Vice Versa (60sec) 2002
This advertisement depicts a driver and motorcyclist who are travelling on the same road, trading places. It highlights the constant risks associated with motorcycling in general traffic and the responsibility of drivers to be more alert and understanding of motorcycles.
1 in 4 (60sec) 1997
This commercial aims to highlight the vulnerability of motorcyclists and communicate the risks relating to motorcycling injuries and fatalities on Victoria's roads.
New Arm (45sec) 1993
The commercial is targeting drivers to look more carefully and closely for motorcycle riders at intersections.
Current Motorcycle Safety Campaign - Reconstruction , April 2012
This campaign communicates the speed impact relationship for a motorcyclist. Underlying this is the importance of adhering to the speed limit to reduce the severity and probability of a crash.
This campaign is about educating riders on the physics of speed and that ultimately, you cannot defeat the laws of physics no matter how experienced or skilled a rider you are. The TVC component is modelled on the Reconstruction campaign developed for car drivers in 2006 which also featured Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Peter Bellion.
The key proposition for this campaign is to successfully demonstrate the effect a small amount of speed can have on trauma outcomes.
View the Reconstruction TV commercial
Campaign development:
Speeding is a significant contributor to serious road trauma across all road user groups. Vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists are especially at risk of death or serious injury when a crash involves significant speeds. Research shows that small increases in the average travel speed can lead to substantial increases in the numbers of road users killed and seriously injured.
The TAC’s vision is to make speeding socially unacceptable just as we have with drink driving. With regards to motorcyclists, an examination by Victoria Police between May 2002 and April 2003 of a sample of fatal crashes involving motorcycles indicated that 38% of riders were exceeding the speed limit prior to the collision(1). In addition, surveys conducted by the TAC from 2009 through 2011 show that more than one in four riders self-report speeding for at least half the time that they ride. Over half of this group report speeding “all or most of the time”.(2)
Last year, 49 motorcyclists were fatally injured on our roads. 31% of which, excessive or inappropriate speed was a contributing factor.
Campaign objectives
• Reduce the number of speed related fatal motorcycle rider and pillion incidents.
• Educate motorcycle riders and pillion passengers about the impact of speed related road trauma on vulnerable road users - communicate that in the event of a collision at speed, the likelihood of a fatal injury is significant.
• Make riders aware that they can greatly reduce their chance of a crash by travelling at a speed that is within the posted speed limit and appropriate for the conditions.
View further Information on this campaign with topics covering
• About the crash scenario
• In this crash scenario, was the driver at fault?
• What can I do to reduce my risk of being involved in a crash?
• What else is the TAC doing in this area?
• The science and research behind the campaign
• What is the relationship between speed and crash severity?
• What are the likely injury outcomes for riders at different crash speeds?
• Why do drivers ‘look but fail to see’ motorcyclists?
View Previous Campaigns
References
(1). Victoria Police (2003). Major Collision Investigation Group (MCIG) fatal motorcycle crash study report.
(2). Transport Accident Commission. (2011). TAC motorcycle tracking survey – Wave 2 report.
