Meeting with Ministers: Re New Motorcycle Safety Package

[Adrian]

Report from a meeting the MRAQ was involved with yesterday. Thanks to John Meara for compiling this.


Two Qld State Ministers hosted a meeting last evening at Parliament House: The Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations, John Mickel and the Minister for Main Roads and Local Government, Warren Pitt. The meeting was simply to provide a little info on the Premier's media release today (see below), some feedback to us as members of the Qld Transport hosted Motorcycle Safety Working Group (MSWG), and a bit of a thank you for our contributions to these efforts. I was fortunate to get an invitation as a Ulysses rep on the MSWG, along with a few other members including Adrian Toscano (MRAQ). Also attending were reps from Qld Transport, Aegis Training (John Bougoure), Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (James ?, standing in for Ray Newland who recently suffered a stroke) and Jon Douglas from Main Roads. The news was basically very positive from the Government about the (draft) draft Queensland Motorcycle Safety Strategy 2009 - 2012. The strategy has been developed by Qld Transport through quite a bit of consultation that goes back a few years. Some of this consultation is mentioned at the end of the Press Release below. Other significant contributions have been made by the Qld MSWG and other groups such as the Gold Coast Motorcycle Safety Working Group. Much of this has been reported on this and other Forums. Below is a copy of today's release. More will follow over the coming days and weeks and you can expect quite a bit in the press. My own opinion on what I am seeing and hearing is that generally the direction is good and it is consistent with the thrust of our earlier recommendations to Government via the Travelsafe Committee (and on the MSWG). It will always be a case of "the devil may be in the detail", but at least at an umbrella (legislative/regulatory) level, the framework being put in place appears to be sound.

http://statements.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=61362 [COLOR="Navy"]Joint Statement: Premier The Honourable Anna Bligh Minister for Transport, Trade, Employment and Industrial Relations The Honourable John Mickel [/COLOR] [COLOR="Black"]Wednesday, November 12, 2008 NEW SAFETY PACKAGE TO TARGET MOTORCYCLE RIDERS [/COLOR] [SIZE="2"] The Bligh Government today unveiled a range of new initiatives to help tackle a rising motorcycle death toll. Ms Bligh said nationally the rate of fatalities from motorcycle riding was 20 times higher than for car drivers. “Here in Queensland around one in five road fatalities are motorcyclists and between 2003 and 2007 fatalities from crashes involving motorcycles increased by 79%,” Ms Bligh said. “More than 70 motorcyclists lost their lives last year alone and up until last month 61 this year. “These are alarming statistics that hide an incalculable cost to the families, friends and loved ones of those who have died. “Why has this tragic trend emerged? “More and more people are riding motorcycles for regular commuting and recreation leading to a steady increase in registrations and the number of people obtaining a license. “With increasing fuel prices and a greater interest in more environmentally-friendly forms of transport this growth is expected to continue. “However more motorcyclists on the road means more risk.” Ms Bligh said motorcyclists are more vulnerable to injury because they do not have the same crash protection as car drivers. “Motorcycle riding also requires greater attention and skills to that used while driving a car,” she said. “Our new initiatives have a particular focus on novice riders. “These include:

• Introducing a requirement that provisional licence holders must a display a P plate when riding a moped or motorcycle. Requiring P plates to be displayed on motorcycles will identify newly licensed drivers to other road users and help with enforcement of particular restrictions that may be applied to these license holders
• Restricting class RE (restricted engine) motorcycle learners from carrying a supervisor as a pillion passenger. Changing this rule will remove the risk a pillion passenger poses to stability and balance of a motorcycle for a novice rider.
• Introducing a Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme to replace the existing 250ml engine capacity restriction for class RE motorcycle licence holders with a restriction based on a 150kW power-to-weight ratio and a 660ml upper engine capacity limit. This will limit the access of novice riders to powerful and unsuitable bikes
• An enhanced road maintenance and infrastructure program aimed specifically at correcting and repairing those parts of the road surface and road environment which pose a particular danger to motorcyclists.
• New and targeted motorcycle public education materials.

Minister for Transport John Mickel said currently learner, provisional and open car and motorcycle licence holders over the age of 25 must comply with the standard .05 limit. “Queensland is the only State that differentiates based on age,” he said. “We are going to change that with the introduction of a zero blood/breath alcohol concentration restriction for all learners, provisional drivers and novice drivers – regardless of age. “Not just motorcyclists but cars as well.” Mr Mickel said today’s initiatives would be phased in over the next 18 months and are the outcome of a broad body of work completed since the Queensland Road Safety Summit including a Queensland Transport review of motorcycle safety, the Select Committee on Travelsafe’s Inquiry into the Q-Ride Rider Training Program and a recent motorcycle safety community consultation process. November 12, 2008[/SIZE]

Yes, this is targetting motorcyclists; but where a safety initiative applies to all road users we haven't been singled out (e.g. with the zero BAC for ALL novice road users). My guess is that during implementation over the next 3 to 5 years, we may see some stumbles (as we did with the recent mail out of brochures where one very negative brochure went down like a lead balloon). In general though I hope we will see a sensible implementation. I even think some reasonable amounts of funding will be allocated to the road environment for our sakes as part of the broad strategy. Minister Mickel (Transport) is supportive of a National approach, consultation and basing decisions on research. These are good things. There is still a lot of work to do. I reckon the important stuff is going to be tackled as part of the strategy, or it will be put on to an agenda and researched. A graduated licensing system will come, as will other initiatives. Nothing however will stop riders killing themselves or being killed by others, but as I said up front - I think this is headed in the right direction given the current structures and resourcing.