June 2014
The Motorcycle and Scooter Safety Advisory Group held a strategic planning meeting last week which I attended to plan new directions for rider safety into the future. This meeting also included all vulnerable road users (cyclist and pedestrians) we are now looking at several options as to the direction the 3 groups will take. I am I favour of keeping all of the motorcycle and scooter safety issues separate from the other 2 groups as I believe we have different safety issues and therefore need different solutions. I will keep you updated on the outcome and our decisions for our futureAs an update on the trial of motorcycles using priority bus lanes, I spoke with the Public Transport Authority last week (they are in charge of this project) it seem that it has got bogged down as they are busy working on charging for parking at their train stations, but I have been assured that I will still go ahead.On the subject of parking at train stations and their policy to charge $2.00 per day per bay I have asked for some clarification on the situation for motorcycle and scooter parking at train stations. I did a ride around the new and extended parking at Bassendean and could not find a single motorcycle/scooter parking bay, so my questions to the Public Transport authority are do they intend to put motorcycle /scooter bays in at all their train station parking areas, how many ( I suggested 5% of the total bays as that is the percentage of motorcycles compared to other road users) at what location in the parking area (nearest the station would be my preference) do motorcycles/scooter have to pay and if so what charge, if there are no bays for us can we use a car bay, if we do use a car bay can we put 2-3 motorcycles in that bay and share the cost or would each bike have to pay if that was the case then why should we not use 1 bay per motorcycle/scooter, are they serious about encouraging the use of motorcycles/scooters to reduce congestion in their parking stations. - I await a reply and will let you know the outcome.I have been away for a while and a bit busy with my own business, but have now caught up bit, so I have requested meetings with the Office of Road Safety to discuss ongoing issues such as motorcycle helmet reform, motorcycle crash data collection and rider training. I have requested a meeting with the Hon Liza Harvey MLA (Minister for Police, Road Safety and Tourism) to discuss motorcycle safety funding, research into motorcycle crashes, and motorcycle tourism. I have also requested a meeting with Hon Dean Nalder (Minister for Transport) to discuss motorcycle and scooter issues in regards to using them to help reduce the current road and parking congestion in Perth by using underutilised road infrastructure and unused spaces for parking. Lastly I have asked for a meeting with the Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan to discuss our Motorcycle Safety Week and if we can organise somejoint Police MRA enhanced rider skills training days. He has been active recently in the media and I believe is truly concerned with the number of fatal and serious motorcycle and scooter crashes this year (15 fatalities at the time of writing this) and all of his advice to riders has been spot on (treat all other road users with suspicion that they have not seen you). As always I will keep you informed.I have followed up on the recent reports in the media over here on a push for front number plates on motorcycles.This is purely the media making a story sound better that it is.Most of the photos they are using are old ones I have seen in the past. (the vast majority of our speedcameras face the rear of the vehicle and have for several years now) This came from an announcement from the minister for Police that the fine for modifying and number plate will go from $50.00 to $1,000.00 this was brought about by a handful of riders who have taken the step of bending the rear number plate under the rear guard so that it can’t be photographed or noted by the police, an action that we do not condone. This increased fine will of course also apply to car drivers who mess with their number plate to avoid being fined or detected for other reasons (number plate recognition for outstanding warrants etc.)There was no comment by the police or anyone other than the media on front number plates.They have however asked the public to dob in hoon riders (something they do from time to time forhoon drivers, outlaw bikies, and drugs dealers.)Below is the link to the story in the West Australian newspaper. Just because it is in print does not makeit true. We must be careful what we react to https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/24242301/police-seek-help-to-nab-bike-hoons/That is about it from me, as always please feel free to contact me on these or any other issue you feel needs looking at.Dave WrightPresident/Road Safety OfficerMotorcycle Riders Association of W.A. Inc.Email- davmar08@bigpond.com Phone 0418 954 424RIDE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT.