December 2013

Hi Guys I hope you are all coping with the hot weather and keeping cool and drinking plenty of water on your rides. It is very easy to become dehydrated on a motorcycle without realising it until you pull over and realise just how thirsty you are, if you are feeling thirsty that means you are already dehydrated which can have a huge effect on your concentration, riding ability and decision making skills. So always carry water with you either in a camel back hydration pack or bottled water and remember to stop for regularly water breaks.I have been asked recently about the hydration vest that I wear on hot days, this is a vest that absorbs water that is worn over a t shirt and under your vented jacket and keeps your core cool be evaporation. It keeps wet to damp for two to three hours and can be rehydrated in a couple of minutes be soaking it in water for a couple of minutes. I have been wearing this for the last couple of summers and it really works well even in stationary traffic but not as well as when you are moving and forcing air through your jacket. If you are interested Google hyperkewl and you can get them on line. They cost about $50.00 each and come in many colours (for the fashion followers)As I mentioned in the last issue the funding from the Road Trauma Trust Account (RTTA) that had been allocated in the past to support the Vulnerable Road User position within the RAC was refused and this was going to directly affect our Motorcycle and Scooter Safety Advisory Group (MSSAG) as this was funded through this funding. Well I am extremely happy to let you know that the RAC have picked up the baton and will be funding the MASSAG and the Vulnerable Road User Group. This is an excellent outcome as both of these groups I am a member of both of these groups and I can tell you that many great safety initiatives comes out of them that the general public don’t always here about. There is a link on our website if you want more information on some of the past successes of MSSAG and just who sits around the table to work together for you.Some of you may have seen some interest over the last few weeks in the media on a proposal that we put to the minister for Transport (Hon. Troy Buswell) to help ease traffic congestion by allowing motorcycles and scooters to use bus lanes. The reason for this was to encourage more of the 120,000 registered road bikes that are sitting in peoples sheds in WA to be put to better use, and used to get to and from work. This will reduce congestion on our roads as 100 motorcycles or scooters takes a hell of a lot less space the 100 cars. It will also be safer for riders as it will remove us from the busy and often unpredictable behaviour of some car drivers on congested roads. I have been in consultation with the Public Transport Authority who have been given the job of organising the implementation of a trial of two bus lane roads and will require new signage and some driver and rider education that we have been asked to contribute to. Driver education will include looking out for riders in bus lanes, if they are about to merge into the bus lane before turning left. But we as riders also have to understand that we are being allowed to use the bus lane and busses will always have priority and we must do nothing that hold up the busses and also use the lane in a safe and responsible manor, if this is abused wall will not be allowed to use the lanes after the trial is completed. I will of course keep you informed of the progress on this initiative and the implementation date once all have been finalised.We have just had a very bad week of motorcycle fatalities; this follows a much improved year to date in fatal and serious injuries over previous years to the end of November. With the lead up to Christmas and the Christmas celebrations there are many more people on the road and they are quite often in more of a hurry than usual and are possible more stresses and distracted than usual, so please take extra care and ride defensively during the festive season as we don’t want any more families to remember Christmas as the last one for their Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, Friend.WISHING YOU ALL A WONDERFULL AND SAFE FESTIVE SEASONDave WrightEmail- davmar08@bigpond.com Phone 0418 954 424RIDE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT.