Please read below for MRAWA's reply to the police department's article on motorcycle safety, written by Dave Wright, Vice President of the MRAWA.The following link will guide you to the offending article story-fnhocxo3-1226645968537
Assistant Police Commissioner Nick AnticichI have just read the article in the Sunday Times 19-5-2013 (Most riders at fault in bike-crash deaths) which quoted a new study that I believe is a Police Department document that was sent to the Phil Hickey from the Sunday Times.A few of the comments and statistics have given me some concern.The statement that -Four out of five riders were to blame in motorcycle fatalities. Is this after the major crash investigation or from the preliminary report and was the rider fully at fault or a contributing factor.The article also stated more than half the riders had alcohol or drugs in there system either above the legal system or high enough to impair their judgement. This flies against all previous data that has shown that the percentage of rides involved in fatal crashes was less than car drivers. What number had a reading above the legal limit .05The statement that nine out of ten killed riders had traffic records. I believe that this is about the same for all fatalities but in this instance only riders have been singled out.The statement that half the 30 bike fatalities in WA between January 2012 and April this year involved riders on an unlicensed bike or a bike that had been in their possession less that three months. Does this include off road bikes and the people who had only had the motorcycle for less that tree months – where they new riders, returning riders or people merely just buying a new bike?The comment from Assistant Police Commissioner Nick Anticich that if you want to avoid being killed or suffer from a serious injury from a statistical perspective, you should not be getting a motorcycle shows his one biased approach to all motorcyclist in putting all riders in the same basket. i agree there is a section or motorcycle riders that can be classed as risk takers (the same as in car drivers) but this is not a basis to target all riders as I believe the comments have done.Could send me the full study that this article refers to so that we can verify its findings.RegardsDave WrightMotorcycle Riders Association of W.A. inc.
