Riders are urged to take part in a major survey on attitudes to road safety strategies which has so far only received responses from four motorcyclists.
Dr João Canoquena of the University of Notre Dame Australia, says the final round of the survey now requires rider support to help balance the outcomes.
“There were only four people in the survey who nominated motorbike as the main means of transport to work, place of leisure or education,” João says.
“This small number limits the sorts of analyses one can conduct. I would like to have more motorcyclists in the sample.
“If this is so, I can then look at how the motorcyclists have answered the questions; what their thoughts are about the strategies I will be including such as RBT. I might also include wire barriers as I know they have caused some trouble to motorcyclists.
“If (riders) know of any other road safety strategies which have been controversial, please, let me know. I am working on the next version of the survey. It is not finalised yet. So, any suggestions are welcome.”
His project started with a pilot survey, following the analysis of 544 written public submissions to the former Australian Transport Council.
“The point the study seems to be making is that there are sentiments in the community that do not seem to be picked up by policy design,” he says.
“Those in charge of policy design do not seem to be aware that the negativity in the community has a wide range of nuances.
“It is not about people supporting or not a strategy. There is a wide range of emotions associated with some strategies, which may include disbelief, refutation, dissent etc.
“There are those who are not happy or resent certain policies, but will always be rather passive. There are others, however, who are starting to refuse certain policies. They will grow more disenchanted unless there is some sort of redress.”
Just what you need to ride in stealth mode around the urban landscape.
And if you wear camo pants, jacket and helmet, the zombies won’t see you!
Camo paint
Camouflage paint is often used on prototype motorcycles so that when the manufacturers take it out on public streets for testing, it disguises the shape of the motorcycle.
Gannet designer Ulfert Jansson says their aim was to produce a completely new appearance mainly by changing the proportions and handlebar position.
So it seems a little strange that Gannet would hide its custom work that radically changes the shape of the Honda.
“The contemporary camouflage graphics on the tank and the paneling was created by precise painting work and was gradually built up in seven layers,” Ulfert says.
“By using paint layers, we could control each single element and place it without any deformation you would get by using foil. Therefore the result is very precise and you can clearly see the impeccable paint job by Walter (Oberli).”
Building process
The bike was built by Stefan Fuhrer, a former MotoGP racing mechanic and his crew at Fuhrer Moto and was fitted with422 Corse parts such as Rotobox carbon fibre rims and CeraCarbon carbon forks.
The project started with initial loose sketches and design studies by Ulfert.
“Many people underestimate the importance of balance and proportion in a custom build,” Ulfert says.
“Just by changing the stance, angles and position slightly, you get an entire new perception and attitude of a bike.”
“The front is incredibly beautiful and hot,” Stefan says.
“Through CNC milling, we have created a new fixation design for the front light and the mini windshield.
With the new three-piece CNC mechanism, we can now change the height of the headlight and adjust the windscreen to any angle.
“The front headlight has been moved forward by 60mm and slightly lowered.
“This new special fixation together with the Multiclip, the triple clamp, and the carbon fork give this bike a very technical and cool visual impression like in a Transformer movie.”
Light forks and wheels
The carbon forks also feature Dyneema and a unique patented Ceramic technology to make them stiffer, lighter and more durable.
A typical 43mm steel front fork inner tube weighs about 1kg, while the CeraCarbon is only 237g.
It is 75% lighter than the conventional steel front fork inner tubes, and reduces the unsprung weight by 1.5Kg on the complete forks.
New roads and roadworks in Australia are falling into disrepair too soon while short warranty periods are allowing contractors to avoid fixing their mistakes.
Australia has “defects liability periods” (DLP) from as little as three months to seven years, but mainly around two years.
This follows a move in Britain to hold road contractors to account for potholes and other road failures from the current two-year period to five years.
Apart from the misuse of taxpayer funds, the lack of decent warranty periods poses a danger to motorcyclists as potholes are a significant hazard for motorcyclists.
Victorian Motorcycle Council chairman Peter Baulch says another example of failed road surfaces is the Peninsula Link Freeway which opened in February 2013.
He says the “whitish discolouration” in this composite photo he supplied is sand and clay from the subsoil under the road being forced up through cracks in the asphalt surface.
“Ultimately these cracked sections will break up completely and become flying missiles as cars and trucks pass over them,” he says.
“To date there has not been any remediation undertaken to halt or repair this problem, which will only get worse, particularly as winter approaches and water penetrates the subsoil.
“It is worth noting that this problem first became visible and noticeable in late 2018; exactly five years after this freeway was opened.”
There are no doubt many other examples in other states, including recent cases in Queensland and NSW where new roadworks started melting in the heat.
Melting tar
Rider reps agree
Peter says contractors should definitely be held accountable for failed roadworks and South Australia’s Ride to Review spokesman Tim Kelly agrees that a five-year warranty is “a great idea”.
“There would be general contractual obligation to repair defects but I would be surprised if anyone would agree to a guarantee for five years,” Steve says.
It should be noted that any extension to the defects liability period would be likely to result in a higher cost for roadworks contracts.
However, a short warranty and low contract price may be false economics as it would possibly cost a higher rate to get contractors to return to fix faulty roadworks after the warranty period.
Warranty periods in states
Electronic sign (difficult to read with the sun on it!)
We contacted roads departments in all states and territories to ask about their roadworks contract warranty periods.
A NSW Roads and Maritime Services spokesperson says they require all road works to be delivered “defect free, fit for purpose and in accordance with contract requirements and specifications”.
“As per industry practice, contracts also specify a defects liability period during which contractors warrant the works and return to remedy any defects identified.”
They did not specify the warranty period.
“Warranty periods vary across contracts and from maintenance to construction projects,” the spokesperson said.
“The duration and terms of warranty periods are confidential under the respective agreements entered into with Roads and Maritime Services contractors.”
VicRoads Director of Procurement Services, Felicity Roberts, says all their contracts include a defect liability period, which requires any issues arising shortly after a project is complete to be repaired.
“For current contracts, the DLP is between one and two years, depending on the size and scale of the project delivered,” she says.
It is believed there are no current plans to change this time period.
A Queensland Transport and Main Roads spokesperson says most of their construction contracts have a defects liability period of just three months.
“However some major projects may have longer defect periods,” the spokesperson said.
“With any project involving the use of asphalt, the supplier provides an additional warranty of up to two years.
“If additional infrastructure such as service utilities are installed, we generally require these works to be carried out without disturbing the road surface.
“When this isn’t possible we require the installer to warrant the integrity of the site for two years.”
WA Main Roads says their contracts include provisions for the correction of defects caused by poor construction processes.
“The length of the defects liability or corrections period will vary depending on the form of contract, but typically ranges from one year to seven years,” they say.
“In addition to these contractual requirements, Main Roads has resources in place to provide a timely response to maintenance issues on its network, including repairing potholes.”
None of the roads departments was able to provide details of the number of call backs for warranty works “as this information is subject to confidential obligations under relevant contracts”.
In other words, the taxpayer never finds out!
Other states and territories have not yet replied to our request for information.
UK warranty
UK Transport Secretary Chris Grayling says their proposed specifications on highway roadworks would demand the contractor returns to bring the road surface back to normal in five years.
“Potholes are the biggest enemy for road users and this government is looking at all options to keep our roads in the best condition,” he says.
“Road surfaces can be made worse by utility companies, so imposing higher standards on repairs will help keep roads pothole-free for longer.”
If you think talking or texting on a mobile phone while driving is dangerous, a new trend of taking selfies has emerged to further endanger riders’ lives.
A US study has found more than 15% of drivers say they take selfies while driving. And 5% “go live” while driving, possibly imitating James Corden’s enormously popular Carpool Karaoke.
The Simply Insurance study, based on United States Department of Transportation data and a survey of American 1430 drivers, found 88% use their phones while driving, which includes handsfree.
Phone stats
It may not be as big in Australia where it is reported that only 1.5% of Aussie drivers illegally use their phones.
However, those statistics could be much less than the reality.
In NSW, about 40,000 drivers are fined each year for illegal use of a mobile phone.
Yet in a one-month trial of just two fixed special detection cameras on the M4 motorway and Anzac Parade and one mobile device, more than 11,000 offences were recorded. (They were not fined during the trial and there was no breakdown on talking, texting or taking selfies.)
In the same month only 1999 NSW drivers received mobile phones fines.
The cameras will be rolled out across the state later this year.
Misdiagnosed crashes
The problem is that many of the deaths occurring from illegal mobile phone use such as selfies go unreported, are “misdiagnosed” (possibly as speeding) or are categorised as distracted driving.
The US study found one in every four car accidents was caused by texting and driving. That does not include using the phone to make a call!
We wonder how many crashes in Australia could be attributed to illegal mobile phone use if only that was a category in the statistics and properly investigated by police, rather than just added to the “speeding” column.
And don’t think Aussies aren’t doing it, even though most support the tough penalties. In the US study, 94% of drivers support a ban on texting while driving, yet 98% claim they still do it.
So drivers seem to think it’s ok, so long as they get away with it.
However, it should be noted that US phone penalties are scant and low (see details further on in this article).
Tougher penalties
Motorcycle riders are particularly keen on increasing mobile phone penalties.
We are endangered by mobile phone use as motorcycles are more difficult to spot in a driver’s periphery vision when it is glued to a phone.
Drivers who illegally use a mobile phone while driving should have their licence suspended, says the Motorcycle Council of NSW chairman Steve Pearce.
NSW last year increased the penalty for illegally using a mobile phone while driving in from four to five demerit points following reports of drivers being fined for not only talking on their phones, but updating their social media profiles and taking selfies.
However, Steve says the MCCNSW believes that licence suspension for illegal mobile phone use should be mandatory.
Australian penalties
The National Transport Commission amended the Australian Road Rules to make it illegal to touch a mobile phone at any time while driving or stopped in traffic, unless it is “secured in a mounting affixed to the vehicle” or “the phone does not require the driver, at any time while using it, to press anything on the body of the phone or to otherwise manipulate any part of the body of the phone”.
Most states have adopted this ruling.
Mobile phone fines vary across the nation:
Fines around the world
Fines vary around the world from no fine in many Asian countries to thousands of dollars and licence suspensions in Canada.
New Zealand has a low $80 fine which matches their low fines for speeding. Consequently 3.5% of Kiwi drivers use their phone while driving compared with the reported 1.5% in Australia.
Almost half (24) of American states have no hand-held phone ban. Some states only issue fines if the driver is in a school zone or committing some other traffic offence such as speeding. Arizona and Montana even allow drivers to text!
The toughest measures in the USA are in California. The state has a $US150 fine (about $A205) for the first offence and more than $US250 (about $A345) for a second violation and one point.
Canada has a distracted driving offence which attracts a $1000 fine and three demerit points. A second conviction could mean a fine of up to $2000 and a seven-day licence suspension. A third offence could mean a fine of up to $3000 and a 30-day suspension.
Fines in Europe vary from less than €50 (about $80) and one point in eastern Europe to €420 (about $A675) in the Netherlands and up to six points in the UK.
Riders should be able to choose to pay a 5c-per-kilometre congestion tax in return for lower rego under a proposal by a leading transport economist.
Sydney University transport economist Professor David Hensher says the congestion tax could cut peak hour traffic up to 10% or to “school holiday” levels.
His plan would be cost-neutral for motorists as it would include a reduction in registration charges.
Motorcycles exempt
However, motorcycles and scooters only could choose to be exempt from the proposal in recognition that bikes reduce congestion and have a lower road impact.
This is in accord with the Belgian consultancy Transport & Mobility Leuven study that found if 10% of all private cars were replaced by motorcycles, it would reduce traffic congestion by 40%. If 25% went from steering wheel to handlebar, traffic congestion would cease.
It also acknowledges motorcycle lane filtering laws that ease traffic congestion because they take motorcycles out of the queue at traffic lights and other snarls.
The Professor says the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies research he headed found that “70% of road users would be prepared travel in off-peak periods if given a financial incentive to do so and to save time”.
He rejected the NSW government’s policy of cutting registration fees for motorists who paid more than a certain amount in tolls over a 12-month period as it would only subsidise toll operator Transurban.
“Sydney now has more toll roads than any other city in the world,” he says.
“Transurban basically controls our road network and that is a problem because it is a commercial concern, not one that’s going to benefit society as a whole.”
Professor Hensher has proposed a trial of his 5c/km tax with several hundred motorists in return for reduced registration charges.
“They may also choose to stay in the peak and drive or switch to the free off peak time and drive or even consider using public transport,” he says.
While the original plan was to include all motorists, Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies founding director Professor David Hensher says authorities should look at exempting motorcycles and scooters.
He says the exemption makes sense since the aim of the proposal is to move cars out of peak hours.
“So motorbikes could be exempt as is the case in London initially when they had a congestion charge into Central London,” he says.
However, from April 2019 the new London Ultra Low Emissions Zone will charge £12.50 (about $A23) a day for motorcycles and scooters that do not meet Euro 3 emissions standards.
Congestion tax and bike bans
Singapore traffic congestion
Cities around the world have introduced or are introducing congestion charges and bans on motorcycles not only to reduce traffic congestion but also air pollution:
Singapore has road-user charges in a CBD zone resulting in a 20% reduction in delays and plans to ban pre-2003 motorcycles throughout the city in 10 years;
Milan’s Ecopass charges all vehicles entering a designated traffic restricted zone and bans old cars and bikes that do not meet set emissions standards;
A cordon charge in Stockholm has led to 24% fewer commuter trips by car (motorcycles and scooters are exempt), with most people switching to public transport and Gothenburg following the same example;
China and Brazil are considering congestion charges in various cities;
Oregon, USA, has trialled a voluntary pay-per-mile distance charge resulting in a 22% drop in traffic in peak hours and a 91% approval by participants; and
London’s Low Emissions Zone charge has helped stabilise traffic congestion over the past decade despite population growth of 1.3 million. Motorcycles, scooters and electric vehicles are exempt, but from next month some older bikes will cop a £12.50 daily fee to access the new London Ultra Low Emissions Zone.
Riders everywhere should be concerned because these taxes and bans are likely to become more widespread in other congested cities in future.
In 2017, the Grattan Institute suggested congestion charges in Sydney and Melbourne during peak hours.
Last year, Melbourne’s Reducing Traffic for Better Streets paper suggested a charge per kilometre to replace vehicle registration fees and/or fuel excise.
The Federal Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics also recommends a similar tax in major cities saying congestion costs Australia upwards of $16 billion each year.
German tech company Continental is working on a system to make thick A pillars in cars invisible so drivers can see motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians.
Most modern cars now have curtain airbags in the pillars which makes them thick, presenting a huge blind spot that obscures small and vulnerable road users such as riders.
Invisible pillars
Now Continental is using its interior camera and integrated OLED displays in the vehicle’s A-pillar to virtually make it invisible.
Their Virtual A-Pillar tracks the driver’s movements and displays an image of the vehicle’s exterior environment on interior OLED displays, enabling the driver to “see through” the A-pillar.
It’s a similar system to the Jaguar Land Rover “360 Virtual Urban Windscreen”.
SMIDSY crashes
While these inventions may help reduce crashes caused by drivers not being able to see riders approaching on side streets, overtaking cars or being overtaken, it doesn’t stop driver inattention.
In fact, most Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You (SMIDSY) crashes occur when drivers have perfectly good vision, usually at intersections, yet still pull out in front of riders.
The intentions of these invisible A pillar inventions are noteworthy, but they will never replace education programs to remind drivers to check for motorcycles such as the Maurice Blackburn Lawyers video campaigns.
Your motorcycle data could soon be monitored by insurance companies to adjust your premiums or payouts based on your riding behaviour history.
It has long been suspected that data loggers and other hi-tech devices in modern vehicles would one day be used by insurance companies to track motorists’ speed, vehicle usage and location.
Usage-based insurance
It’s called usage-based insurance (UBI).
On the positive side, insurance companies would offer lower premiums to those motorists who provide access to their vehicle data.
The down side is that if the data shows you are using your bike more than you agreed in the contract or are deemed a high-risk rider, your premium could also be increased.
It may even lead to insurance contracts being cancelled or payouts denied.
But there are also now aftermarket plug-in devices that owners can retrofit, either in agreement with the insurance company or at their insistence.
One case where they could insist on the devices is if the rider has made a number of claims, proving a history of risky riding behaviour.
UBI products
Automotive technology company ERM Advanced Telematics has developed three aftermarket products specifically for insurance companies to track vehicles.
StartLink OnBat, UBI-Tag and UBI-Plug will be available later this year. We imagine the insurance companies will be looking very closely at these.
StarLink OnBat is a miniature monitoring and tracking device that connects via two wires to the vehicle battery and has an internal backup battery, GPS and a cellular modem in a small, waterproof (IP 67) encasement.
Size and waterproofing make it ideal for fitting to motorcycles.
It sends data regarding motorist behaviour and location to the service provider’s servers or to the insurance company based on a pre-determined frequency.
UBI-Tag is a sensor and Bluetooth interface with a single-use battery that lasts three years. It sends data via a dedicated app on the motorist’s smartphone directly to the server of the service provider or the insurance company. Again, this would suit a motorcycle.
UBI-Plug is a version of the UBI-Tag that is only for use in cars as it plugs into the lighter socket, if it still has one!
Three motorcyclists are critically injured following a horror night on the roads in NSW and Victoria with police appealing for witnesses to the crashes, including one hit and run.
On initial police reports, it appears that two of the incidents were the fault of drivers.
Pennant Hills crash
A motorcyclist remains in a critical condition after coming off his bike at Pennant Hills overnight.
The crash happened on Pennant Hills Road when a southbound motorcyclist swerved to avoid a northbound silver Mitsubishi Outlander performing a U-turn, near the intersection of Pomona Street, about 6.20pm (Thursday 7 March 2019),
The 23-year-old rider was thrown from the motorcycle, sliding along the roadway before hitting a brick wall.
He sustained head and internal injuries and has undergone surgery overnight in Westmead Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.
The driver of the SUV, a 62-year-old man from West Pennant Hills, continued south but was flagged down by another motorist.
He immediately returned to the scene and spoke with police. The man was arrested and has now undergone mandatory testing; he has also provided a statement to Crash Investigators.
Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed the crash and has not yet spoken to officers, or anyone with dash cam vision, to contact the Crash Investigation Unit or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
Hit and run
Keilor police are appealing for witnesses or dashcam footage following a hit run in Laverton North last night (7 March).
Investigators have been told a motorcycle rider collided with an unknown vehicle on the entry ramp of the Western Ring Road near the Princes Freeway about 6.25pm.
The rider, a 42-year-old Altona North man, was thrown from his motorcycle and suffered non-life threatening injuries. He was transported to hospital for treatment.
It is believed the driver of the vehicle fled the scene without rendering assistance.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
Rear-ender
Police are investigating a collision in Balwyn North this evening that has left a motorcyclist with life-threatening injuries.
It is believed the motorcyclist was travelling inbound on the Eastern Freeway near Burke Road about 9pm when it has struck the back of a silver Mercedes.
The yet to be identified male rider was thrown from his BMW motorcycle and has been taken to hospital in a critical condition.
The female driver of the Mercedes was not injured.
Police believe a second motorcycle may have been travelling in the vicinity at the time of the collision.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has dash cam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
Long weekend patrols
Riders on Victorian roads and bush tracks are advised that police will be targeting motorcyclists this Labour Day long weekend.
Jetpack Aviation is the latest company to announce plans for flying motorcycles, although so far they have only provided artwork and an animated video.
Despite the absence of a working prototype, they are taking pre-orders of US$10,000 (about $A14,000) for their 240km/h self-stabilising, jet turbine-powered flying motorcycles.
It’s called the Speeder and they claim the 105kg machine will climb to 15,000 feet but only stay aloft for 20 minutes.
It doesn’t sound like the sort of thing that would get riders off their ground-based motorbikes. But it may only be a matter of time before we’re all flying!
The first models will be available for civilian use, followed by a military version. There is no word on how much one of these supposed flying motorcycles will cost.
There is no word yet on when they will actually get the project off the ground.
Speeder flying motorcycles
The Speeder doesn’t ride on the road, only flies thanks to four JB-series jetpacks with a combined maximum thrust of almost 1000Nm.
It runs on kerosene, JetA or diesel and features hand controls, a 12-inch touch screen for navigation and a built-in two-way aviation radio system for air-to-air and air-to-ground communications.
Melbourne’s much-lauded motorcycle footpath parking is under siege by Lord Mayor Sally Capp who says a survey shows that motorcycles and scooters are a major obstruction to pedestrians.
While not saying motorcycles should be banned from footpaths, Sally said “more (on-street) spaces for motorcycles to park are needed so they park there instead”.
Speaking on radio 3AW this morning, she acknowledged that 1300 motorcycle and scooter riders come into the city every day and council provides only 280 parking spaces.
It found that motorcycles, scooters, bicycles and cafe furniture were major pedestrian obstructions.
Neil butted in: “So can we get the motorcycles and bikes off footpaths?”
Sally acknowledged that “under road rules (motorcycles) can park on footpaths”.
She suggested car parking spaces could be turned over to motorcycles to encourage them to park there instead of footpaths.
Neil replied, “that worries me more that you will take spots away from cars.”
“We’re not say we will do it, but considering,” Sally said.
“We need to provide spaces for motorcycles as well.”
Siege on free parking?
3AW’s Neil Mitchell
Neil increased the siege on motorcycles suggesting paid car parking spaces converted to motorcycle parking should also be paid, not free.
Sally said they would consider that issue, but said their main reason for providing these on-street spaces would be to encourage riders to use them, suggesting they should be free.
She also mentioned that people with disabilities had complained that footpath motorcycle parking next to disability parking spaces often prevented them from accessing their car.
Victorian Motorcycle Council media spokesman John Eacott said he was concerned about the Lord Mayor’s attitudes to pavement parking.
“She is putting her head on the chopping block as this is a Victorian State law (albeit it Council controlled) and she has obviously forgotten the outrage the last time this happened some 30 years ago,” he said.
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