Tag Archives: speeding

Pointless double demerit points for Easter

With riders grounded in most states by the travel restrictions it almost seems pointless that some states have double demerits applying over the Easter long weekend.

The “pointless points” start this morning and will end at midnight on Monday 13 April 2020 in NSW, the ACT and Western Australia.

In NSW, they’re calling it Operation Tortoise and point out that holiday travel is not allowed as it is not “essential” during the pandemic lockdown.

Click here for more details on exceptions to the ban.

Pointless points?

The only time you could be fined on your motorcycle in NSW this Easter is if you are speeding to the supermarket to get another bag of Doritos or in your rush to get the doctor!

Be aware that one high-range speeding offence could be enough to get your licence suspended for several months under double demerit points.

Note that double demerit points are separate to any on-the-spot fines for disobeying a stay-at-home directive.

Double demerits danger

In “normal times”, riders from Victoria, Tasmania, Northern Territory and South Australia passing through NSW, ACT or WA during any declared holiday period do not cop the double demerits.

With borders now closed, that’s not possible anyway.

Police cops speed speeding sensation annual demerit

However, Queensland riders should note that double-demerit points are effectively in place all year round.

The law in Queensland is that double points do apply to speeding offences of 21km/h or greater over the speed limit and seatbelt offences if they occur more than once within a 12 month period.

If you incur the penalty in another state, it still applies as if it happened in Queensland.

Lawyer Stephen Hayles of Macrossan and Amiet Solicitors says he has been asked by clients about the system after copping a fine in an applicable state.

“For example if you commit two speeding offences of driving 21km/h over the speed limit in a 12 month period, you will be allocated four demerit points for the first offence and four demerit points for the second offence plus an additional four demerit points,” he says.

“This means that you will have accumulated 12 demerit points within a 12 month period and you risk having your licence suspended.”

How demerit points are recorded

NSW police blitz demerit

Double points apply in NSW and ACT over the Australia Day weekend, Easter, Anzac Day, Queen’s Birthday, Labour Day and Christmas/New Year.

In WA, the double points apply on Australia Day (unless it falls on a week day), Labour Day, Easter, Anzac Day (unless it falls on a week day), Western Australia Day, Queen’s Birthday, and Christmas/New Year.

If a rider in another state commits a traffic offence in a state during a double-demerit period, the offence is recorded as a double demerit offence on their traffic history in the state where the offence happened.

The state licensing authority will then report the offence to the transport department in your state who will record the offence on your traffic history.

However, the double points will only apply in Queensland under the circumstances described above.

Choice of penalty

Stephen says that if you have committed a traffic offence recently and you receive a Queensland Transport notice that you have accumulated your allowed demerits, you will have a choice of a good driving behaviour period or a licence suspension for a period.

“When considering whether to agree to a good behaviour driving behaviour period and a licence suspension, it is important that a licence holder understands that accepting a suspension of their licence may preclude them from making an Application for a Special Hardship Order or an Application for a Restricted (Work) Licence for the next five years,” he warns.

If you are unsure about how many demerit points you have, you can search your record online at your state’s transport department website or call them and request a copy of your traffic history.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Police video catches speeding night rider

Queensland Police have charged a man with dangerous operation of a motorcycle after the night rider was videoed riding at more than three times the limit earlier this week.

They have now released the Polair video of the incident in north Brisbane which shows the bike going through a fast foot outlet and speeding through streets on Tuesday night (31 March 2020).

Officers seized the 34-year-old Narangba man’s motorcycle for 90-days.

Night rider

Police will allege around 9pm officers were patrolling Anzac Avenue in Kallangur when they were overtaken by a motorbike travelling at high speed.

It is alleged the night rider turned into the drive thru of a fast food outlet where he bent the number plate, so it was not visible, before riding off.

Police attempted to intercept the motorcycle however the rider failed to stop, “speeding off with the front wheel rising into the air”.

In other words, a wheelie.

The officers last saw him riding west along Anzac Avenue.

The motorcycle is alleged to have sped past another police vehicle on the same road which detected it travelling at 191km/h in a 60 zone.

The motorcycle was tracked by Polair1 with police intercepting it in Thomas Street, Narangba a short time later.

The male rider returned a positive roadside drug test and was conveyed to North Lakes Police Station where he was issued with a notice to appear in the Petrie Magistrates Court on July 6 for evade police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and drug driving.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444 or provide information using the online form 24hrs per day.

You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.

Quote this reference number: QP2000651109

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Crash speed ‘not linked to rider injury’

Speed is not necessarily linked to the severity of injuries in a motorcycle crash, according to the first global rider report on motorcycle crashes.

The worldwide study makes a mockery of anti-speed campaigns such as “Every K over is a killer” and the overly simplistic “Speed kills”.

Some 127 riders from Australia last year were among 1578 from 30 countries who participated in the research, rather than academics simply studying data.

The authors of The Dynamics Of Motorcycle Crashes : A Global Survey of 1578 Motorcyclists — all of whom are motorcyclists — say their findings show that “orthodox motorcycle accident analysis” appears to be “looking the wrong way”.

“Typically, motorcycle accident studies have identified human error as the major cause of collisions,” they say in their synopsis.

“Other reasons considered are the lack of training, sports bike riders taking unnecessary risks and riding at high speeds which has been used as a measure for severe injuries.”

Speed not linked

But one of the most important findings is that the speed of a motorcycle involved in a crash is only randomly linked to the seriousness of injuries.

“The speed of the motorcycle when it crashes with another vehicle, road infrastructure or an object or animal does not necessarily determine the severity of the injuries of the motorcyclist,” they say.

“This finding is important because it allows analysts and researchers to focus their attention on what the evidence in this study provides, which is the mechanism of the crash (the trajectory of the rider post-crash and what he/she hits) has far more importance than speed in terms of the type and the severity of injuries.

“In fact, the post-crash motion “topside” occurred in 63% of those cases where the rider collided with a car.”

(By “topside”, they mean the bike was still upright on impact with the rider seated.)

“In terms of injuries, this type of trajectory dominates both the range of type of injuries and the severity.  

“This is an area of research that needs further attention, indeed, the report recommends further research that has been drawn out from the conclusions.”

We hope the authorities pay some attention to this report, rather than making knee-jerk legislation responses to the latest crash statistics.

Riders surveyed

stupidity a factor in motorcycle crashesElaine Hardy

We published a plea in May 2019 from authors Elaine Hardy, Dimitri Margaritis, James Ouellet and Martin Winkelbauer for riders to take part in the comprehensive survey.

The authors say they received a good response from 126 Australia riders.

They say riders who replied came from a varied age range, motorcycling experience, as well as depth of skills and training.

“The new research presented in the report, most importantly involved riders bringing their personal experience and their expertise beyond that of simple academia,” the authors say.

“Riders understand motorcycling in way quite different than that of academia, where statistical analyses of large databases such as police reports and hospital records has displaced research that requires in depth crash scene investigative knowledge.

“The riders’ crash details which were provided through the responses to the questions as well as the comments they offered, brought those stories of personal experiences which included treatment of their injuries, pillion riders and the dynamics of their crash, that in their own words allowed a deeper insight into the dynamics of crashes and the circumstances.

“These could not have been captured in a usual ‘tick box’ survey.”

Authors are riders

The authors say the fact that they are all motorcyclists s important as they are “aware of the dynamics of riding a motorcycle with the potential risks riders face”.

They say this helped them to analyse the responses better as they understood the issues riders face in traffic and out on the road.

“Particular focus most relevant to motorcycles included the use of protective equipment and assistance systems, in particular Advanced (anti-lock) Braking Systems (ABS),” they say.

It follows a 2016 study by UK motorcycle road safety researcher Dr Elaine Hardy into ABS-equipped bike crashes called “Effects of ABS in motorcycle crashes”.

Her study found that simple stupidity, irresponsibility and bad luck were often overlooked as causes of a motorcycle crash.

More segments of this latest report will be published and analysed by Motorbike Writer over the next few days so stay tuned.

Meanwhile, here is an infographic that outlines the survey respondents.

Crash speed ‘not linked to rider injury’

Authors:

  • Elaine Hardy, Motorcycle Research Analyst, UK; 
  • Dimitri Margaritis, Research Associate, CERTH/HIT, Greece;
  • James Ouellet, Hurt Report co-author, USA; and
  • Martin Winkelbauer, Senior Researcher, KFV, Austria.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Reduced speed epidemic spreads

Never mind coronavirus; the biggest epidemic seems to be reduced speed limits, especially on popular motorcycle roads around the country.

The latest is the reduction of speeds on the very open Wivenhoe-Somerset Rd (aka Splityard Creek Rd) which leads to Brisbane’s Holy Grail of riding, Mt Glorious.

A Transport and Main Roads spokesperson says the speed limit was reduced this month from 100km/h too 80km/h on the 22km stretch from Wivenhoe Pocket to Lake Wivenhoe.

“This is to improve safety for road users. This reduction followed a formal speed limit review which was endorsed by the Somerset Speed Management Committee,” they say.

Speed limits are set following detailed engineering assessments which consider a range of factors including the road’s function, physical road environment and crash history.”

Speed Mt Glorious WivenhoeSpeed limit on Wivenhoe-Somerset Rd

Epidemic

The change in speed limit is part of an epidemic that has hit the mountain in recent years with seeds plummeting as much as 40km/h in some places.

It follows a meeting last August by the Somerset Regional Council’s traffic and Safety Audit Committee which suggested a review of speeds for the lower section of the Northbrook Parkway which runs toward Mt Glorious from the western side.

The current speed is 80km/h, but police suggested it be dropped to 60km/h.

One officer said the stretch of road was “advertised as the top road race for motorcycle in Australia.

“There are online statistics for racing top to bottom and they post how fast they go,” the office told the meeting.

However, Motorcycle Advocacy Group spokesman David White says “nobody has found any online post times for races to date”.

A former TMR worker says the change in speed on the Wivenhoe-Somerset Rd is a “complete disgrace”.

“There is meant to be a scientific process that TMR and councils have to go through to determine the right speed limit on a road,” he says.

“It’s patently obvious to me that this scientific rigour is being bypassed in favour of hysterical residents and police.”

New roadworks on Mt Glorious broken legMt Glorious is glorious if the roads are in good repair!

A rider concerned that the epidemic of speed reduction would include Northbrook Parkway has started a Change.com online petition.

However, TMR says there are “currently no proposed changes to the speed limit on Northbrook Parkway”. 

We reviewed the speed limit in late 2019 and determined the existing 80km/h is appropriate,” the spokesperson says. 

Speed assessment

TMR says that in November 2018, they released a new Queensland Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices: Part 4 Speed Controls, the first major revision of speed limit guidelines in Queensland since 2003.

The engineering assessment methodology was revised to incorporate a safety assessment of road infrastructure,” the TMR spokesperson says.

Key road features, such as road geometry, lane and shoulder width, and the presence of roadside hazards, have been found to significantly influence the likelihood and severity of crashes.

“These features are now specific factors in the speed limit review.

The assessment also considers crash rates as an indicator of safety risk.

When considering the balance between road safety and efficient travel, the recommended speed limits are the safest and most appropriate speeds for that location at the time of assessment.

Where the safety risk is high, the review will likely recommend a lower speed limit to give road users more protection.”

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Double demerits for Australia Day weekend

Police in all states will be out in force over the Australia Day long weekend with double demerits applying from tomorrow (24 January 2020) in NSW, the ACT and Western Australia until midnight Monday.

in NSW, they’re calling it Operation Safe Return and they are asking motorists to “look after themselves and others in the true spirit of ‘mateship’ this Australia Day long weekend”.

They promise a high-visibility presence.

Be aware that one high-range speeding offence could be enough to get your licence suspended for several months under double demerit points.

Double demerits danger

Riders from Victoria, Tasmania, Northern Territory and South Australia passing through NSW, ACT or WA during any declared holiday period do not cop the double demerits.

Police cops speed speeding sensation annual demerit

However, Queensland riders should note that there is also a double-demerit points system effectively in place all year round.

The law in Queensland is that double points do apply to speeding offences of 21km/h or greater over the speed limit and seatbelt offences if they occur more than once within a 12 month period.

If you incur the penalty in another state, it still applies as if it happened in Queensland.

Lawyer Stephen Hayles of Macrossan and Amiet Solicitors says he has been asked by clients about the system after copping a fine in an applicable state.

“For example if you commit two speeding offences of driving 21km/h over the speed limit in a 12 month period, you will be allocated four demerit points for the first offence and four demerit points for the second offence plus an additional four demerit points,” he says.

“This means that you will have accumulated 12 demerit points within a 12 month period and you risk having your licence suspended.”

How demerit points are recorded

NSW police blitz demerit

Double points apply in NSW and ACT over the Australia Day weekend, Easter, Anzac Day, Queen’s Birthday, Labour Day and Christmas/New Year.

In WA, the double points apply on Australia Day (unless it falls on a week day), Labour Day, Easter, Anzac Day (unless it falls on a week day), Western Australia Day, Queen’s Birthday, and Christmas/New Year.

If a rider in another state commits a traffic offence in a state during a double-demerit period, the offence is recorded as a double demerit offence on their traffic history in the state where the offence happened.

The state licensing authority will then report the offence to the transport department in your state who will record the offence on your traffic history.

However, the double points will only apply in Queensland under the circumstances described above.

Choice of penalty

Stephen says that if you have committed a traffic offence recently and you receive a Queensland Transport notice that you have accumulated your allowed demerits, you will have a choice of a good driving behaviour period or a licence suspension for a period.

“When considering whether to agree to a good behaviour driving behaviour period and a licence suspension, it is important that a licence holder understands that accepting a suspension of their licence may preclude them from making an Application for a Special Hardship Order or an Application for a Restricted (Work) Licence for the next five years,” he warns.

If you are unsure about how many demerit points you have, you can search your record online at your state’s transport department website or call them and request a copy of your traffic history.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

RUNIT rider nabbed on 55 offences

A 22-year-old man wanted for 55 traffic offences including several for speeds of more than 150km/h in Brisbane’s northern suburbs has finally been nabbed.

Watch the Queensland Police video below of several occasions where the rider is spotted by police who give up the chase for public safety reasons when he speeds off.

He is also seen dangerously lane splitting at high speed through the city’s tunnels.

Police allege the rider is a “prolific high-speed motorcycle rider committing numerous life-endangering offences”.

He was finally arrested on 2 January 2020 when an off-duty Road Policing Investigations Unit officer spotted his motorcycle, a Suzuki GSX-R600 with the stolen plate, “RUNIT”, in an Alderly hotel carpark.

We alerted riders to the rise in plate theft and cloning back last month.

Road Policing Investigations Unit

Rider arrested on 55 traffic offences
Bike spotted in hotel carpark

The RPIU is a specialised unit who identify and track prolific and recidivist traffic offenders “whose manner of driving is a clear danger to other road users, as well as themselves”.

It also identifies and locates vehicles and drivers committing serious criminal offences using our road networks, such as drug couriers and property crime offenders.

Police will allege the Suzuki was used in more than 50 speeding offences in and around Brisbane between October and December 2019.

Since identification may be part of the rider’s defence, he cannot be named at this stage.

When arrested, the 22-year-old Stafford Heights man was in possession of a backpack which was found to allegedly contain methylamphetamine and a set of scales, as well as 13 Queensland and New South Wales driver licences, four Australian passports and one UK passport and 13 Medicare cards.

Speeding offences
Backpack contents

He also allegedly had possession of another cloned registration plate for the same make and model of his motorbike.

The man was subjected to a Roadside Drug Test which police allege returned a positive result.

The RPIU charged the man with 36 offences and issued him with 55 traffic infringement notices for speeding, as well as impounding his motorcycle for forfeiture.

Offences include:

  • 1 count of possess dangerous drugs exceeding Schedule 2
  • 1 count of possess property suspected of being used in a drug offence
  • 1 count of drug driving
  • 1 count of tainted property (stolen registration plate)
  • 2 counts of evade police
  • 2 counts of disqualified driving
  • 4 counts of unlicensed driving
  • 6 counts of unregistered vehicle
  • 6 counts of uninsured vehicle
  • 6 counts of false plates
  • 1 count of possess item purporting to be a registration plate (that is, a “cloned” plate)
  • 2 counts of fail to stop at red light
  • 2 counts of disobeying the speed limit
  • 1 count of breach a domestic violence order

He is due to face Brisbane Magistrates Court on February 3.

The 55 speeding infringement notices are for allegedly exceeding the speed limit in the tunnels, Brisbane streets, as well as on the Bruce Highway, including 30 high-speed offences where his alleged speed was more than 40km/h over the speed limit.

The highest alleged speeds were on three occasions when the motorcycle was detected travelling at 178, 175 and 172km/h in a 100 zone on the Gympie Arterial Road, Bald Hills. The Suzuki was also allegedly detected travelling at 155, 149 and 147km/h in an 80 zone in the Airport Link Tunnel, Wooloowin.

Investigations by the Gateway Property Crime team continue with the man also charged with five counts of tainted property and one count of obtaining or dealing with identity information.

He will, also face these charges when he appears in court next month.

High-speed offencesQueensland police licence annual ipswich

Acting Superintendent Flanders , Operations Commander, Road Policing Command, his team of “highly skilled investigators” can monitor, identify and locate drivers engaged in dangerous behaviour.

Late last year RPIU officers analysing high-speed camera detections focused attention on a motorcycle speeding at 205km/h in a 70 zone on Sandgate Road, Boondall, at 10.50pm on 10 April 2019.

“This speed was almost three times the limit and was clearly extremely dangerous driving behaviour. There is no margin for error when travelling at speeds more suited to a racetrack than a suburban road,” he says.

The unit identified the vehicle from speed camera images and on 12 September 2019 they searched a Taigum home where they found the jacket and helmet worn by the rider in the camera image.

A 27-year-old Taigum man was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle (with a high-speed circumstance of aggravation).

He pleaded guilty in Sandgate Magistrates Court on 8 November 2020 and received a 12-month licence disqualification and 15 months’ probation.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

How double demerit points can affect you

Double demerit points apply from Friday (20 December 2019) in NSW, the ACT and Western Australia, affecting licensed riders not only in those states, but also Queensland.

The penalty period lasts until January 1 (inclusive) in NSW and ACT and January 5 in WA where one rider copped a hefty 14 demerit points and $1200 fine over the Western Australia Day long weekend in June 2019.

Traffic Enforcement Group officers tweeted the above photo of the fine after nabbing the rider at more than 120km/h in an 80km/h zone in Ravenswood.

Police noted on the fine that the rider told them: “She (his bike) was flooding and gurgling; just gave it a blat”.

His licence was suspended for three months.

Double points danger

Riders from Victoria, Tasmania, Northern Territory and South Australia passing through NSW, ACT or WA during any declared holiday period do not cop the double demerits.

Police cops speed speeding sensation annual demerit

However, Queensland riders should note that in certain circumstances they do apply.

The law in Queensland is that double points do apply to speeding offences of 21km/h or greater over the speed limit and seatbelt offences if they occur more than once within a 12 month period.

Lawyer Stephen Hayles of Macrossan and Amiet Solicitors says he has been asked by clients about the system after copping a fine in an applicable state.

“For example if you commit two speeding offences of driving 21km/h over the speed limit in a 12 month period, you will be allocated four demerit points for the first offence and four demerit points for the second offence plus an additional four demerit points,” he says.

“This means that you will have accumulated 12 demerit points within a 12 month period and you risk having your licence suspended.”

How demerit points are recorded

NSW police blitz demerit

Double points apply in NSW and ACT over the Australia Day weekend, Easter, Anzac Day, Queen’s Birthday, Labour Day and Christmas/New Year.

In WA, the double points apply on Australia Day (unless it falls on a week day), Labour Day, Easter, Anzac Day (unless it falls on a week day), Western Australia Day, Queen’s Birthday, and Christmas/New Year.

If a rider in another state commits a traffic offence in a state during a double-demerit period, the offence is recorded as a double demerit offence on their traffic history in the state where the offence happened.

The state licensing authority will then report the offence to the transport department in your state who will record the offence on your traffic history.

However, the double points will only apply in Queensland under the circumstances described above.

Choice of penalty

Stephen says that if you have committed a traffic offence recently and you receive a Queensland Transport notice that you have accumulated your allowed demerits, you will have a choice of a good driving behaviour period or a licence suspension for a period.

“When considering whether to agree to a good behaviour driving behaviour period and a licence suspension, it is important that a licence holder understands that accepting a suspension of their licence may preclude them from making an Application for a Special Hardship Order or an Application for a Restricted (Work) Licence for the next five years,” he warns.

If you are unsure about how many demerit points you have, you can search your record online at your state’s transport department website or call them and request a copy of your traffic history.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Police video exposes stupid motorists

In the run-up to the usual Christmas crackdown on motorists, Queensland Police have released this video compilation of the stupid things some motorists do.

We’ve edited down the bodycam vision a bit as it gets boring.

However, it includes a rider doing 160km/h in a 60km/h zones, stupid drivers holding mobile phones, not wearing seatbelts and a drunk driver spinning his 4WD out of control on a damp corner when it hits white lines — all riders would know about that one!

Interestingly, bike cops were involved in several incidents including the detection of a driver at night on his mobile phone.

Queensland police are today launching Operation Romeo Sleigh to focus on road safety from this Friday (13 December 2019) and running until January 31.

“The Queensland Police Service is releasing this vision as a reminder to all motorists using our roads during this busy holiday period, to do safely,” they say.

There will be a similar crackdown on motorists in all states, with higher police patrols and speed camera deployments.

Just last month NSW police announced a crackdown on stupid driving in regional areas.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Electric corner signs alert riders

Signs that light up and display a safety alert and message if you are riding too fast for the corner are being trialled in the UK.

British company TWM Traffic Control Systems have developed the LED signs that include a radar sensor.

Be alert, not alarmed

But don’t worry! The smart alert signs are not designed to issue speeding tickets, says TWM spokesmen Chris Rayner. At least for now!

“It’s purely advisory,” he assures us.

“It’s to aid riders or drivers and alert them to the potential dangers ahead. What you can do is have a function to record the activity along the road, traffic counts, speeds etc.”

The sign will display the rider’s speed and an alert such as SLOW DOWN, or CRASH SITE and flash amber LEDs.

When the vehicle then slows down and the speed falls below the secondary threshold limit, the sign displays THANK YOU with the real-time speed.

Warning signs

It’s similar to speed alert signs used around Australia and a Texas University project that developed stop signs that light up as a vehicle approaches.

Safer stop signs alert
Texas electronic stop signs

The TWM signs may help riders handle dangerous decreasing radius corners, but we wonder what they consider a safe corner speed for each vehicle.

For example, a motorcycle could easily handle a corner at a higher speed than a sports car which would be better than an SUV which would be better than a truck…!

Chris says the signs would allow the authorities to monitor the impact of approach speeds.

“The averages and 85th percentiles will all be calculated so further measures can be put in place if needed,” he says.

Our concern is that this could lead lower speed limits!

“We have been doing similar signage for various dangers, hazards and speed indication since 2002,” Chris says.

“I’m a biker myself and we have been supplying Isle of Man with some of our DayBright units for enhanced pedestrian crossings … I’m speaking to them to see if the crash site (sign) is something they could utilise as well.”

While the signs may be advisory now, we wonder how long before authorities use them to issue speeding tickets!

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Thanksgiving turkey attacks motorcycle cop!

Maybe we should carry a turkey with us on our motorcycles this Thanksgiving to protect us from getting a speeding ticket from the police.

It certainly worked for this driver who will be giving thanks to a turkey this Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving turkey

The driver didn’t have the turkey in his car; it just showed up to rescue him from the motorcycle cop who had pulled him over for speeding.

But perhaps it would be a good idea to have one on hand!

Anyway, the incident occurred in San Francisco and the Livermore Police Department thought it funny enough to release the body camera video.

After the wild turkey chases the officer, he gives up and says: “You’re not getting a ticket, he doesn’t want you to get a ticket!”

We don’t think it was a Thanksgiving prank, but a genuine situation.

The department has also posted the video on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Maybe we should add turkeys to this guide on what to do when pulled over by police!

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com