Motorcycle Riders Association of SA

Road Safety

We encourage members to continue to bring situations of interest or concern to our attention. The South Australian Road Safety Strategy 2020 is available online. Below are recent news items on motorcycle safety in South Australia.

Helmet Standards - October 2011

The helmet standards issue is a big one at the moment. All helmets manufactured have to comply with the Australian AS1698 Standard. Costly compulsory testing to this standard makes the price of helmets in Australia much more than the same models available overseas. We are a relatively small market. The various US, European and Japanese helmet standards are comparable with AS1698 so why not allow these helmets that comply with their local standards to be legally purchased and worn in Australia? This would mean a fairer market, cheaper prices and a better range.

Currently it is illegal to wear any helmet purchased from overseas, and doing so can compromise any insurance claim in case of a motorcycle crash.

The Australian Motorcycle Council, which the MRASA supports and associates closely with, is working hard on this issue and hopefully sense will prevail and we will get a better deal for all riders.

Neville Gray - Road Safety Officer and Vice-President, MRASA

Road Safety Barrier Trials - June 2011

The SA Government is currently running three barrier trials with the view of making roadside barriers safer for motorcyclists.

Firstly, the BASYC system trial is ongoing on the Gorge Road and surrounding areas. This barrier protection system consists of a grey 'plastic' curtain attached to the bottom of the existing W-Beam rail and hence preventing a sliding rider from impacting the upright support posts which can inflict severe injuries to limbs and other bodily extremities. We already know of at least one rider, and possibly three others, who owes his life to this barrier protection system.

The second trial is also being conducted in the same area and uses a similar method of preventing a rider from impacting the upright posts but uses a metal 'rub rail' similar to the BASYC system but at substantially reduced cost per linear metre.

The third trial is being run on the controversial wire rope barriers (WRB) in various locations. This consists of a wrap-around sleeve to protect an out-of-control rider from impacts with the upright posts.

Neville Gray - Road Safety Officer and Vice-President, MRASA

For more information you can visit the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure web site for their announcement on 15th December 2009. The department made a further announcement on the 22nd June 2011 to extend the length of the barriers.

Motorcycle Safety Levy - January 2011

It is no secret that both the Federal and SA State Governments (in particular) are thinking of imposing a motorcycle safety levy on all motorcycle licence holders. This desire is clearly spelt out in the SA Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020, with the plan being to reduce the road toll in South Australia over the next 10 years. Victorian riders have been paying this levy for the past 8 or 9 years.

This issue is an emotive one and if and when introduced, the levy will polarise riders' opinions. At least we have prior knowledge of this impending levy and can therefore push our views on what we as riders will accept and the minimum conditions that must be implemented for this levy to be reluctantly acceptable.

The lamentable death of 20 riders in 2010 on SA roads will no doubt make this decision easier for the SA Government.

As part of this dialogue to ensure that SA riders get a fair return for their money, the MRASA Committee invited the then Minister for Road Safety, the Hon. Tom Kenyon, to attend the July monthly committee meeting. A range of topics was discussed in a frank and open manner with the Minister, including the impending levy.

All is quiet on this topic at the present time. The Motorcycle Safety Task Force was disbanded in October 2010 making way, we hope, for a replacement high-level committee to administer the funds collected from this levy.

It is motorcyclists' money and therefore motorcyclists should have a majority say in the way it is spent.

The Task Force was moderately successful and introduced the LAMS to SA and produced the acclaimed SA Motorcycling Safety Strategy 2005-2010. Unfortunately the replacement post 2010 safety strategy was not supported by the State Government and we are the only state in Australia to not have a current motorcycle safety and transport strategy, which is deplorable.

If and when the levy is introduced, the first item on the agenda, after forming an advisory council, is to draft up a replacement motorcycle safety strategy. Other items would be to provide areas to legally ride off-road motorcycles, to introduce a recreation motorcycle registration scheme and to continue and expand the highly successful barrier protection projects. There are a myriad of potential things to do. Cheap and accessible post rider training is also a big issue.

Other joint ventures with the MRASA in 2010 have been made with SAPOL and the Motor Accident Commission on protective clothing, the interaction between drivers and riders, and in promoting the Police Safe November motorcycle campaign.

We as motorcyclists are in for interesting times in SA in the near future, and be assured that your Motorcycle Riders' Association of SA are to the forefront of all these important rider issues.

Neville Gray - Road Safety Officer and Vice-President, MRASA

Are you skilled enough to ride and survive?

The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure web site poses the question, "Are you skilled enough to ride and survive?". Visit the motorcyclists section of the safe road users area of their website to find out more.

Hazardous, Changed or Dangerous Traffic Spots

The MRASA has, via the forum set up a thread where you can log changed road conditions or conditions that you feel other riders will benefit from knowing. It could be as simple as the dropping of road speed on a favourite ride to temporary road works than you come upon suddenly. And you would hope no one else would discover like that. This would also help our Road Safety Officer get a feel for what bothers you, our riders.

Should you wish your issue to receive personal attention, send an email to the MRASA Road Safety Officer.

Useful Links on Road Safety

Metro and Country Roadworks from Transport SA.
Outback Roads Temporary Closures, Restrictions and Warnings Report from Transport SA website.
Road Safety home page from Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.

Road Crash Reports by vehicle type from Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.
Road Crash Reports by month in SA from Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure.
Road Statistics from SAPOL.
Road Crash Statistics from Australian Transport Safety Bureau.