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Presidents Report

President’s Report November 2019

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President’s Report November 2019

  • Summer Riding Season
  • World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
  • MRA South Australia
  • Bikes Unlimited Charity Run

 

Summer Riding Season
Now that we are enjoying warmer days, most motorcyclists have dusted off their trusty machines and headed out onto the roads to enjoy the scenery and social aspects of riding. Now is a good time to ensure that your motorcycle is ready for the road, whether it has good tyres, brakes and is mechanically sound. The weather is another safety topic due to the hot and dry conditions we have been experiencing. While returning from a ride to the eastern states last month, the temperatures were sustained over the mid thirty degrees mark for several days. Even though I wore a HyperKewl evaporation vest to keep my body cooler and a Camelback for hydration, the temperatures can still take its toll on the body and your level of concentration. The message here is to plan your journey beforehand and to know what type of equipment you will need to complete your journey safely which should also include appropriate riding attire.
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
Road Trauma Support WA issued an invite to for me to join them last Sunday 17th November in remembering the lives of those lost and injured on our roads, the family, friends and many others affected by road trauma and give thanks to those that dedicate themselves to reducing harm on our roads. The event was held at UWA Watersports complex in Crawley.
There were two accident victims who described their trauma, lost loved ones and the effect on their lives. Both of the accidents described involved motorcycles. It is well known that motorcyclists are overrepresented in road trauma statistics. Avoiding distraction, obeying the road rules and awareness of your surroundings will assist in reducing the risk to motorcyclists. Ride like your life depends on it.
One interesting presentation come from Doctor Sudhakar Rao who has been campaigning to the insurance council for the last decade for no blame insurance policies for people injured in accidents. He stated that the current system means that the hospital will treat the blame and no blame injuries differently due to the level of insurance cover they can receive. Interesting to know.
MRA South Australia
While on my ride last month, I took the time to ride down to Adelaide to meet with Graeme Rawlins (President) and Harald Lindeman (Treasurer and Magazine Editor) of the MRASA who were running a stand at a motorcycle show at the time. We discussed how we could collaborate with safety strategies and possibly share expenses for printed material where there is a common message and value. Discussions to continue.
During our discussions, they invited me to talk on their weekly radio show at a community station. It was only 5 minutes of fame however I discussed some of the safety initiatives being undertaken here in the West, for example motorcycles in bus lanes and lane filtering. I also spoke about the preliminary planning for the “Grand Tour” of our awareness ride to Philip Island where their members could participate on a section of the ride. More planning will be required in the coming months, our Vice President will keep us informed of the progress.
Bikes Unlimited Annual Charity Run
The Perth Bikers Charity Ride is on Sunday 1st December. It would be good to see as many MRAWA members as possible attending. Riders need to be at Optus stadium well before 8:30am to ensure they are ready for the 8:45am departure and procession.

That is all for this year as there is no meeting in December. The next meeting will be on the 21st January 2020. Seasons greetings to all and have a safe holiday season.

Jeffrey Thomas
President
Motorcycle Riders Association of W.A. Inc.
Mobile: 0409 293 320
president@mrawa.org
Ride Like Your Life Depends on It.

Presidents Report August 2019

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Motorcycle Riders Association of W.A. Inc.
President’s Report
August 2019

Hello to all and I hope everyone has been keeping dry and warm during the cold winter months. There have been some excellent rider days albeit starting off cold but quickly warming up for a good sunny day. Always good to take advantage of these days when you can.

My name is Jeff Thomas and I am the new President of the MRA WA. This report is my first and I have spent most of the last month researching and learning where the organisation has been, what are the key issues concerning our members and the motorcycle fraternity are and what can be done to address them. This information will help our new leadership group to plan the future and to do justice with the extraordinary work done by my predecessor, Dave Wright.
I would like to welcome the leadership group of Steven Wheadon as Vice President, Steven Fish as Safety Officer/Political Officer and Ainslie who retains Treasurer and Memberships.

Committee Members
The new committee consists of the following 6 people:
President – Jeff Thomas
Vice President – Steven Wheadon
Safety/Political Officer – Steven Fish
Secretary – Vacant
Treasurer – Ainslie Kounis
Memberships – Ainslie Kounis
Website – Ainslie Kounis, Jeff Thomas
Newsletter – Jeff Thomas, Ainslie Kounis
Rides Group – Chris Meyer, Steven Wheadon, Jeff Thomas
General Committee – Dave Wright

Australian Motorcycle Council
On the 19th July, I received an invitation for a video conference with the AMC which was very interesting for a first timer to these meetings. The discussions in this meeting was generally regarding:
Getting their house in order to present a unified message to government and road authorities.
Why are we here and what are we doing – develop an approach.
Professional development to help give a better message.
Skills, find people to help, get rid of emotion and directness.
Riders are often not skilled, should be continuous learning.
Steven Fish attended a second AMC video conference on the 15th August who will present this as part of the safety report.

Road Safety Council – Vulnerable Road Users Group
In the past month we have had 2 meetings with the Road Safety Council.
The first was the MRAWA leadership team of myself and the 2 Steves’ as a meet and greet. We discussed the work the RSC is doing and how we can achieve greater road safety for our members. We outlined our vision for the future, what we wanted to achieve and where the organisation was headed. We came to an agreement that both organisations can help each other. The MRA WA has agreed to participate in the making of motorcycle safety videos and to advise on motorcycling techniques, tips and tricks.
The second was attended by Steve Fish, details will be in his report.
Our Safety Officer Steven Fish has been invited to the A Australasian Road Safety Conference at the Adelaide Convention Centre  25-27 September 2019
Dave Wright and I will be attending a meeting with the RSC on the 29th August to discuss motorcycle safety reforms.

Council Roadwise Committees
I was investigating the existence of a roadwise committee in my council area and while I found yes there was, I also noticed that the council has introduced 40km speed limits in two small areas of the council. I had not heard this before so it appeared to be by stealth and was done in conjunction with the RSC.
Apart from this, I intend to contact the mayor and put a case forward for joining the committee so as to be active in my area.

Fire Stryker Inhibitor
Dave Wright, Steve Fish and I have attended a demonstration at the Emergency Response Group Training (ERGT) centre in Jandakot of a small fire extinguisher with a very impressive operating time. The unit weighs only 400grams, is much smaller the a 1kg extinguisher yet has an emission time of 100 seconds which is longer that a 9kg extinguisher.
The extinguisher can be easily mounted on a motorcycle and is recommended to improve the safety of all road users. The MRA WA supports the sale of these extinguishers which will then be purchased through the MRA WA website for online purchasing.

MRA WA Constitution
Due to new laws and regulations, our constitution is required to be updated to comply. The closing date to have the updates completed was 1st July 2019. We were in the process of having this done, however it was not completed through no particular fault of our own. I propose that the MRA WA move forward with the changes to the constitution. Some of the changes are as follows:
Modernise to the latest requirements and legislation.
Facilitate the membership of other clubs at a suitable cost.
The protection of members privacy.
Expand the leader group to five members to include the Treasurer.

Affiliated Motorcycle Clubs
To further the cause of allowing clubs to be members of the MRAWA, I will be speaking to different groups.
I have met with the president of the Governors Motorcycle Club, he will speak to his members.
I will be attending the meeting of the ORMTC on the 2nd September.

Member Recognition
The MRA WA has had one particular member who always turns up for meetings, busy bees, Numbat rally and just about every other function we hold. The member has been doing this for around twenty five years and a surprising fact is he does not ride a motorcycle. I give notice of nomination of Roger Jutte for Life Membership to say thankyou for your dedication and effort. This nomination will be voted on in our next meeting in September in accordance with our constitution and have a two thirds majority of the committee.

Always remember – Ride like you life depends on it.
Jeff Thomas
President
Motorcycle Riders Association of W.A. Inc.
email: president@mrawa.org
mobile: 0409 293 320

Presidents Report July2019

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Hi All
As you may have heard I decide to not nominate for any positions on the MRA Committee and stood down as President/ Safety Officer at our AGM on Tuesday 16th July 2019.

It has been an absolute pleasure working on the MRA Committee for the past 15 years with some wonderful people, but it is time for a new group to move the MRA forward, I am extremely confident that the new committee of Jeff Thomas, Steven Wheadon, Ainslie Kounis and the rest of the new MRAWA Committee will work hard for your best interests and I wish them every success for all motorcycle riders.

As this is my last report as MWAWA President I will keep this report short as I am sure you will all want to hear from the new President and Committee.

 

Road Safety Strategy 2020 -2028. The Road Safety Commission has now released its public

I urge all motorcycle riders to take the time to complete the survey as there are some major changes proposed in the strategy (I am sure you have heard of the proposal to lower speeds across all WA roads by 10km/hr) and now is your opportunity to let the Government know your views on this and many other proposed changes.

Go to the website and register to have your voice heard. https://imaginezero.rsc.wa.gov.au

I am currently working with the Road Safety Commission to arrange a motorcycle rider specific forum to discuss the changes that we would like to see in the new Safety Strategy. The possible date is late July or early August at the moment, although this could change, I will make sure you all get notified once they let me know the final date.

 

Motorcycle Lane Filtering. This has been an issue that I have been working on for a few years now and I will keep hammering the Road Safety Commission until I get a result,  I have been assured that it is progressing, although it seems at a glacial pace.

 

Motorcycle use of Bus Lanes.  As above – this has been an issue that I have been working on for a few years now and will keep hammering the Road Safety Commission until I get a result,

 

Motocap Road Safety Commission Grant of $1,000.00 has been approved for the MRAWA to conduct a Motocap, five Star Rated Protective Clothing Seminar. I have invited Liz, five Star Rated Protective Clothing Seminar. I have invited Professor Christopher Hurren from Deakin University to present at this seminar, he is the man charged with the testing of motorcycle protective clothing at the University and he is also a keen motorcycle rider.

The seminar will be held at Scarborough Community Centre on Saturday 8th August 2019 at 10am for motorcycle rider groups and individuals who wish to learn more of how this benefits you. A Second seminar will be held in the after noon for motorcycle dealers and accessory retailers.

For more details on Motocap go to www.motocap.com.au

 

Motorcycle Testing

There is a report circulating regarding stopping motorcycle and scooter riding tests at Joondalup License Centre from 1st July and there is a protest ride planned for Saturday 20th July 2019.

I have been in touch with the Department of Transport (licencing services) who have reversed their decision and testing of motorcycle and scooter riders will recommence on 5th August 2019. This is official and has been signed of by the DoT General Manager.

 

I hope to see some of you on an MRA ride soon as the weather will soon be turning fantastic.

Remember to ride like you life depends on it. (it does)

 

This report is a mix of Presidents, Safety  reports in no particular order.

Dave Wright

President

Motorcycle Riders Association of W.A.

                                                                          

As I am standing down as MRA WA President, I have been reflecting on some of the wonderful people who I have worked with at the MRA over the past 15 years, I will not attempt to list them all but you know who you are. I have been thinking of our actions and achievements we have been able to successfully  complete during my time on the committee. I will not try and list all the work that we have done for riders but would like to highlight some.

  • I joined the MRA Committee in 2004 as Ride Coordinator and Safety Officer.
  • One of the first actions that we tackled was rejecting the push to fit front number plates on motorcycles.
  • We organised a protest ride to Parliament House were we presented a partition signed by over a thousand riders to ban wire rope barriers.
  • In 2006 I took over the President role from George Batt
  • 2007 was the year that we first started working with the Office of Road Safety, after we called for the sacking of the chair of the Road Safety Council (Grant Dorrington) and the RAC as the representative on the Road Safety Council, due to their lack of commitment to motorcycle rider safety.
  • 2009 saw the start to the conversation to establish a Road Safety Strategy for motorcycle riders and a working group was set up through the Minister for Road Safety to arrange a series of three Motorcycle forums. The final outcome from these forums was a list of 50 action related to motorcycle safety, all of which where completed, This was a huge success for motorcycle riders as this was the turning point where government agencies started to consider rider’s needs.
  • 2010 – 2012 was taken up ensuring that all the actions were being progressed and completed as agreed at the forums. We attended every one of the quarterly meeting on progressing these actions, and indeed added some new actions through the Office of Road safety.
  • 2013 saw the establishment of the Vulnerable Road User Group and our partnership with the RAC on a number of safety issues including funding for future forums every two years to look a new safety actions that could be established, the review of crash investigations into all motorcycle fatal crashes, and funding for Motorcycle Road Safety Auditor Training.
  • A couple of years after the Vulnerable Road User Group was disbanded the Minister for Road Safety establishes the Vulnerable Road User Advisory Group in 2016. This group activities reports directly to the Minister on road safety actions and initiatives.
  • Because of our involvement over many years we now have regular access to Government Ministers and agencies including Department of Transport, Main Road Department, Road Safety Commission, WA Police, WA Local Government Association, who are all willing to listen to any of our concerns and indeed seek our input through stakeholder consultation.

 

I will now put my feet up for a rest and hand over to the new MRAWA Committee, although I will always be more than happy to discuss any issues or give some insight into past actions.

 

Dave Wright
MRA Life Member #8

 

 

President’s Report June 2019

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MOTORCYCLE RIDERS ASSOCIATION OF W.A. INC.

Presidents and other reports June 2019

 

I hope you are all managing to get in some rides in between the rain we are having at the moment or at least not getting too wet, and on the days when the sun does shine isn’t it a great time to be out on our bikes.

 

 

Road Safety Strategy 2020 -2028. The Road Safety Commission has now released its public consultation survey on the 2020-2028 Road Safety Strategy.  This consultation process shaping the State’s next road safety strategy was launched  Saturday 8 June.
The consultation process calls on the community to imagine zero deaths on Western Australian roads. This is an opportunity to help set the agenda for the future and save the lives of drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.

I urge all motorcycle riders to take the time to complete the survey as there are some major changes proposed in the strategy (I am sure you have heard of the proposal to lower speeds across all WA roads by 10km/hr) and now is your opportunity to let the Government know your views on this and many other proposed changes.

Go to the website and register to have your voice heard. https://imaginezero.rsc.wa.gov.au

 

 

Motorcycle use of Bus Lanes a proposal on this has now been with the Road Safety Commission for some time now and have called them requesting an update. It seems the proposal is still being considered.

Once I have been told the final outcome, I will let you all know.

 

Road Safety Commission Grant of $1,000.00 has been approved for the MRAWA to conduct a Motocap, five Star Rated Protective Clothing Seminar. I have invited Liz, five Star Rated Protective Clothing Seminar. I have invited Liz DE Rome to travel to Perth to run this seminar aimed at informing motorcycle riders of the testing method and benefits to riders. I also intend to hold a second presentation and invite the Motor Traders Association, motorcycle dealers and motorcycle clothing shops. I am still waiting for a confirmed date from Liz De Rome for these seminars.

 

Motocap had  big jump on the number of hits on the website following our recent Facebook post on this subject to our affiliated clubs and motorcycle social media links. This is great to see and if you have not registered for updates on new garments being tested, which is happening on a regular basis, then do so here – www.motocap.com.au

 

Just a reminder now that the wet weather has hit to check your tyres for wear and keep a close eye on your tyre pressure, this will make a huge difference to the handling of your bike. 

 

Remember to ride like you life depends on it. (it does)

 

This report is a mix of Presidents, Safety  reports in no particular order.

Dave Wright
President
Motorcycle Riders Association of W.A.

                                                                          

 

President’s Report May 2019

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MOTORCYCLE RIDERS ASSOCIATION OF W.A. INC.

Presidents and other reports May 2019

 

Motorcycle Lane Filtering has now been progressed through the Road Safety Commission and is will the Road Safety Council for the recommendations being sent to the Minister for consideration. I have been assured by the Ministers Principal Policy Advisor that we will be invited to sit down with the Minister to discuss the proposed legislation changes.

I personal believe this is now close to a conclusion (although I may have stated this belief previously.

 

Motorcycle use of Bus Lanes has now been with the Road Safety Commission for some time now and I have been told that they may have some good news for us on this issue. I will be arranging a meeting with them in the next few weeks to get an update.

 

Road Safety Strategy 2020 -2028. The Road Safety Commission along with the City of Stirling and the Motorcycle Riders Association of WA Inc. will be running a half day motorcycle public consultation session in the near future. This is to get input from motorcycle riders regarding the Road Safety Strategy 2020- 2028. This is the only consultation that is aimed at a specific road user group and will be your chance to influence what the strategy will look like and how it can benefit motorcycle riders in WA. I will be sending out the information and invitations once the date has been finalised.

Road Safety Commission Grant of $1,000.00 has been approved for the MRAWA to conduct a Motocap, five Star Rated Protective Clothing Seminar. I have invited Liz, five Star Rated Protective Clothing Seminar. I have invited Liz DE Rome to travel to Perth to run this seminar aimed at informing motorcycle riders of the testing method and benefits to riders. I also intend to hold a second presentation and invite the Motor Traders Association, motorcycle dealers and motorcycle clothing shops. The date of this seminar will probably be in July.

The Australian Motorcycle Council recently held an Extraordinary General Meeting The reason for this was to elect a new Executive Committee of the AMC. This has been brought about as some member organisations have raised concerns that the AMC has over recent times become ineffective,   due to a perceived lack of action and communication and that it will cease to be a representative motorcycle organisation in the future.

To prevent this from occurring a petition to hold an Extraordinary General Meeting was prepared in accordance with the AMC Constitution.

At this meeting a new executive committee was elected the executive committee is now –

Chair Person – Guy Stanford
Vice Chair – Dave Wright
Treasurer – Brian Wood
Secretary – John Eacott
General Committee – Peter Baulch
General Committee – Jason Anthony

 

I was invited for a meeting with Peter Katsambanis MLA, the opposition spokesperson for Police and Road Safety, we discussed many topic relating to motorcycle rider safety, including road infrastructure, training of riders and instructors, lane filtering, motorcycles in bus lanes and more. It is important to keep in touch with the ministers of the current government and possible future government.

 

Remember to ride like you life depends on it. (it does!)

 

This report is a mix of Presidents, Safety  reports in no particular order.

Dave Wright
President
Motorcycle Riders Association of W.A.                                                                          

 

President’s Report April 2019

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MOTORCYCLE RIDERS ASSOCIATION OF W.A. INC.
Presidents and other reports March/April 2019

I hope you are all well and not put off riding too much by the change in the weather.
The Easter Long Weekend break is coming up fast and I would encourage all riders to take extra care on our roads as this is the time when many car drivers take to our country roads for the first time in a year and we unfortunately have to make allowances for there lack of highway knowledge and skills to survive.

Motorcycle Lane Filtering is progressing very slowly through the Road Safety Commission (RSC) and will then be sent once more to the Road Safety Council before the recommendations from those two groups are sent to the Minister for Road Safety Hon. Michelle Roberts MLA for consideration. We have been promised to be part of the consideration process with the Ministers Office. Once the recommendations have been accepted, it will then require legislative changes. I do call the minister’s office and the Road Safety Commission on a regular basis to pester them for updates and will let you know as soon as we see some light coming towards us from the end of a very long and dark tunnel.

Motorcycle use of Bus Lanes, this is another of those issues that I raised over seven years ago that got some initial traction from our Government agencies, to the extant that they agreed to a twelve month trial to two road in the metro area. That twelve month period ended about 3 years ago and since then they have added two new roads to the short list of bus lanes that we can legally use. They have also not closed of the trial so that at least we can continue to use those bus lanes. The good news is that the RSC has now taken responsibility to progress this action, after many years of arguing who should take this action on. I am also on the backs of the people at the RSC to get progress reports and to be involved in the discussions.

Motorcycle Safety Campaign. The Road Safety Commission recently produced three motorcycle safety video’s that are at this point on social media although there is some talk of having them shown on mainstream tv.
The links are below for you to view and share
Carbon fibre suit – https://youtu.be/zCTplezq_xc
Training wheels – https://youtu.be/5mC_eqKHZto
Airbag – https://youtu.be/g5H8eQ4YdaM

Road Safety Strategy 2020 -2018. The Road Safety Commission along with the City of Stirling and the Motorcycle Riders Association of WA Inc. will be running a half day motorcycle public consultation session in June. This is to get input from motorcycle riders regarding the Road Safety Strategy 2020- 2018. This is the only consultation that is aimed at a specific road user group and will be your chance to influence what the strategy will look like and how it can benefit motorcycle riders in WA. I will be sending out the information and invitations once the date has been finalised.

MotoSafe Incursions. In partnership with Motorcycling WA, I have been conduction MotoSafe incursions for years 6 to 8 in primary schools regarding motorcycle safety, with the emphasis on wearing the correct protective clothing and showing these kids just how much fun riding a motorcycle can be. These are sponsored by Smarter than Smoking. To date I have been to Calista, East Byford and Two Rocks Primary Schools, the future schools include Darkan, Toodyay, Bakers Hill, Burekup, and Wundowie. I must say that I am really enjoying the enthusiasm of these children for junior motorcycle sports riding.

Motorcycle Parking continues to be an ongoing issue that we are working on. A few months ago we held a informative meeting with the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA)who gave us some useful information on changing the regulations regarding motorcycle parking. It seems that WALGA can not force local councils to provide motorcycle parking bays, only recommend that they do so. Our next step is to approach the State Minister for Local Government to alter the local Government laws to provide for adequate motorcycle parking in all local government area’s but particularly in the metropolitan area.

MotoCap. As I am sure most of you know we now have a star rating for motorcycle protective clothing and I would urge you to check to their website if you are considering buying any new protective clothing as cost is not always a good indicator or the level of protection any garment will give you.
An additional 19 MotoCAP safety ratings have now been published. The new ratings are for:
thirteen textile jackets
three pairs of textile gloves
two pairs of leather gloves
one pair of textile pants.
The results again highlight the important of MotoCAP to inform the consumer to highlight the level of protection of gear. No garments scored over two stars in the protection rating. There was more variation in the thermal comfort rating, with ratings ranging from one to three stars, with five different textile jackets gaining three stars for thermal comfort.
Many of the garments were also advertised as water resistant, and were tested for their ability to keep the rider dry in wet weather. There was significant variation in performance in this category. The highest performer was the MotoDry Airmax textile jacket, which scored 9 out of 10 for water resistance.
The new ratings can be viewed at www.MotoCap.com.au by scrolling down to “Latest Rated Products”.

Australian Motorcycle Council (AMC). As you may be aware the AMC is the peak body representing motorcycle riders at the federal level with delegates in all states and territories Including the Motorcycle Riders Association of WA. They have done some great work over the years including pushing through the European helmet regulations and working for homogenised Australian Road Rules. However over the past few years the AMC has become relatively inactive other than holding an annual conference, this has caused some unrest from many of the AMC delegates who all agree that we need a strong voice for motorcycle riders at the federal level.
It has been requested of the AMC Chairman, Shaun Lennard that we hold an emergency General Meeting to elect a new AMC Committee to reinvigorate the work with the Federal Government and all of its agencies.

Remember to ride like you life depends on it. (it does)

This report is a mix of Presidents, Safety reports in no particular order.
Dave Wright
President
Motorcycle Riders Association of W.A.