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.”
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.
The decision is based on a joint study by Euro NCAP and Australasian NCAP which concluded that automatic emergency brakes would lead to a 38% reduction in real-world rear-end crashes at low speeds.
With motorcycle companies such as Honda and others now considering this sort of technology, we have to wonder whether motorcycles will be the next with mandated auto brakes.
Emergency brakes rumour
The Honda Goldwing rumour is based on some patent images that allegedly show two forward-facing cameras.
It is suggested these could only be used for monitoring traffic in front to avoid a rear-end collision.
They would be connectedto an Adaptive Driving Assistance System (ADAS) to slow the bike, prompting the rider to activate the brakes, possibly with extra assistance.
The auto system would be connected to the Goldwing’s combined braking system and Inertial Measurement Unit.
It sounds like a similar system to the one used in Honda’s Civic and CR-V cars.
The car system also monitors lane position, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring and speed limiting, so these could also be added to the Goldwing.
There is no confirmation from Honda of the emergency brakes rumour, nor when it would likely be introduced.
Honda added a vast array of electronic wizardry: electric windscreen, seven-speed automatic transmission, hill start assist, idling stop/start, traction control, smart key, electronic suspension, four engine modes, LED lighting, auto-cancelling indicators and Apple CarPlay that allows iPhone users to use their device.
Yet it has a smaller fuel tank, almost a third less luggage space and shed up to 48kg in weight.
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.
Hi-tech automated cars make drivers lazy and less likely to see motorcycles which could lead to an increase in Sorry Mate, I Didn’t See You (SMIDSY) crashes, a new study has found.
Rice University and Texas Tech University studied 60 drivers over a 40-minute drive in a “simulated partially automated vehicle” and found their hazard perception decreased.
Partially automated vehicles are those with sensors that detect hazards and apply drive aids such as steering and brake application to avoid a collision.
However, the study found that drivers in these vehicles depend on the tech and become complacent, losing attention to the road ahead and its various hazards.
The study found that “safe operation becomes less likely when the demands associated with monitoring automation increase and as a drive extends in duration”.
So the longer they drive, the worse their inattention and complacency becomes.
It’s not good news for motorcyclists who are already largely unseen by motorists.
And as more and more tech is included in cars, it could get worse, says study lead author Eric Greenlee, an assistant professor of psychological sciences at Texas Tech.
“The bottom line is, until automated driving systems are completely reliable and can respond in all situations, the driver must stay alert and be prepared to take over,” he says.
“These vehicles have a lot to offer, but we’re a long way from being able to detect everything going on,” the researchers say.
“Until that day comes, we hope this research will raise awareness about the limitations of automated cars and their operators.”
Death knell
However, a 2017 US report by a motorcycle industry panel, cleverly called Give a Shift, says automated vehicles could kill off motorcycling.
“There is a “very real risk of motorcycling being completely cut out of the conversation for future vehicle infrastructure systems,” the group concludes in its report.
“As this (autonomous vehicles) technology grows, contemporary motorcycles will be even further elevated into higher risk categories in the eyes of traffic systems technologies, insurance companies, city planners and autonomous vehicle manufacturers who currently own and direct the conversation.
“The panel feels strongly that the single biggest threat to motorcycling overall (particularly in urban and higher density environments) will be the incompatibility between autonomous vehicles and existing motorcycles.”
The group says the technology will push self-operated vehicles such as motorcycles “out of the transportation matrix”.
Two male riders have died, and a female pillion is in a critical condition after a head-on crash with a 4WD near Young, NSW, yesterday (Friday March 1, 2019).
NSW Police are asking for anyone with information about the crash to contact Crimestoppers.
The accident happened about 2.10pm on Murringo Road, near Swamp Road, Murringo, about 20km east of Young.
Police have been told a motorcycle, travelling with a pillion passenger, has collided head-on with a 4WD Landcruiser.
There are no details yet about which vehicles were on the wrong side of the road.
The Landcruiser then rolled and crashed into a second motorcycle.
The two motorcyclists, a 59-year-old man from Ungarie and a 57-year-old man from Girral, were unable to revived and died at the scene.
The pillion passenger, a 57-year-old woman from Ungarie, was treated at the scene. She was airlifted to Canberra Hospital in a critical condition for treatment to internal injuries.
The 27-year-old male driver of the 4WD was also taken to Canberra Hospital for treatment for a fractured arm.
A third motorcycle stopped at the scene without incident.
Officers from the Hume Police District established a crime scene and have begun inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.
NSW police advise that information provided to Crime is treated in strict confidence. They also reminded members of the public not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
Victorian Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage after a hit-and-run crash in West Melbourne left a motorcyclist with serious injuries.
The accident happened on Footscray Road at 5.10am today (February 28, 2019).
The 29-year-old male rider was treated by paramedics on scene and taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Police believe a white, early 2000s model Mitsubishi van, with registration plates WWX576, was seen leaving the scene travelling south on the Citylink, over the Bolte Bridge towards Port Melbourne.
Police are looking for a Mitsubishi van like this
The vehicle has damage to the front left side and a missing headlight from the hit.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
It follows the sad death yesterday of a 28-year-old rider in hospital after a collision in Tarneit on Sunday (February 24, 2019) about 8.45pm at the intersection of Bethany Road and Claire Way.
The motorcyclist from Tarneit was travelling east on Bethany Road when he collided with a BMW sedan as the vehicle was turning into Claire Way.
The driver, a 29-year-old Mount Waverly man, stopped and assisted at the scene.
The rider was taken to hospital with life threatening injuries but has sadly died.
European politicians have voted on a raft of mandatory safety technology in all new vehicles including “black box” recorders, automatic braking and even automatic speed limiters.
The technology will only apply to new vehicles with some measures, such as auto emergency brakes in cars, being introduced as early as next year.
New safety measures include:
New crash testing requirements;
Mandatory installation of driver assistance systems including Automated Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection;
They say the automatic speed limiters will be overridable so that means you can switch it off.
But we suspect that when you switch your motorcycle on, it will default to being activated just like traction control and ABS are on current vehicles fitted with these rider aids.
However, one big problem in Australia is the standard and maintenance of our roadside speed signs.
Austroads report on TSR
An Austroads report says our signs will have to be improved. After all, what would TSR make of signs in rural areas that have been used for target practice!
We can think of several other scenarios where interventionist technology limiting your speed could be danger.
For example, if you commit to overtaking a vehicle which then speeds up, you could be left stranded on the wrong side of the road, unable to complete the overtaking manoeuvre.
