Canberra Motorcycle Awareness Week

I have no problem with the vast majority of motorcyclists. Their ability to manouvre through traffic concerns me not at all.

However, the recent popularity of scooters has given rise to concerns.

To see young females, dressed in office attire, peddling along at 80+K’s in traffic fills me with absolute dread.

To imagine these ill-protected riders sliding along a tarred road having come a gutzer is pure horror.

I believe most biking attire has a ‘wear’ rating, where the ability of the protective material to do just that is measured in time/speed/metres. Stockings and high heels don’t even rate.

The Stay Upright course does seem to produce competent motorcyclists. Can I beg that greater attention is given to the ability of protective clothing to protect.

Therefore all ute drivers are reckless, agressive idiots with no concept of safe driving.

not actually so far from the mark, sgt! ; )

Fair enough that these bikers are doing that. Full support to them, they’re an equal part of traffic, and deserve respect and safety.

By the same token though, I’d like to take off the road the motorcyclists who refuse to provide respect and safety to others. The hoons who think that accelerating to high speed on their high powered pocket-rockets is acceptable (discussed above), and the munters with bikes that make you deaf.

Plenty of other places in the world it’s illegal to have a car or bike that is exceptionally loud. I’d like to see that here. Every time a Harley drives past me, it’s blowing out at well above 90db. These riders frequently use after-market pipes, as their bikes are fitted with quieter ones (excessively noisy vehicles being illegal in much of the world, including the US) They show absolutely no respect for other humans, so I don’t see why we should show them any. Get them off the roads.

i am thinking that people only see the the motorcyclist when they are doing the wrong thing.. most tin can drivers drive past dozens of bikers doing the right thing everyday and it doesnt even register in their minds.. it has been proven that it is human nature to see the things that are dangerous and likely to do you harm.. given that car drivers are not likely to get hurt if involved in an accident with a bike they simply dont see the motorcyclist…

It may be only a minority of riders doing the wrong thing, but what they are doing is very visible. Swerving around traffic at 30km/h+ above prevailing traffic flow up the Monaro Hwy, for example, is something I regularly see. It’s not that car drivers are pure as the driven snow, simply that actions involving riders are often more obvious.

Lol, bd84, clearly you’ve never ridden a motorcycle nor taken part in any rider training.

This “large percentage” of motorcyclists who don’t do the right thing… have you got any stats to back up this somewhat ludicrus claim? I know many, many motorcyclists, all of whom are very safe riders… there is the occasional idiot on a bike, just like there’s the occasional idiot in a car, in a truck, in charge of a train/boat…

A campaign of motorcycle awareness for car drivers and performing head-checks is never going to work when car drivers think it’s perfectly safe and legal to swerve between lanes like they’re Mark Skaife, pull into gaps in traffic that don’t exist, tailgate, talk on mobile phones, drive agressively, throw traffic tantrums that endanger lives all because someone got in front of them when they were originally first in line at some traffic lights, drive down bike lanes or emergency stopping lanes just because they can.

Car drivers are more likely to be less of a threat to other road users when they do the right thing and put some effort into their own safety.

I was tailgated by someone in a ute on the way home today. Therefore all ute drivers are reckless, agressive idiots with no concept of safe driving.

That said if you don’t see a bike, you’re not looking! It’s not that hard.

Its getting to be the time of the year when I see motor-scooters being ridden slowly and dangerously close to the curb, with cyclists overtaking them on the right; or doing 60 in the RH bus lane on an 80k road, ie Adelaide Avenue.

Yep, & when I’m riding, it’s the young females in small cars that I watch out for the most.

This is not intended to be a sexist remark. It’s my way of giving myself the best chance of staying alive when I’m riding, by being especially aware of those that are most likely to be a risk to my own safety.

Because if the sh*t hits the fan, it’s ME that’s going to hurt!

Thats because there are more cars than motorbikes….plus most girls drive cars 😉 Oooooooohhhh snap!

I see far more dangerous driving by car drivers than I do by motorcyclists

While acknologing that a lot of drivers don’t understand head-checks in this town, it’s far time that the powers that be invested in proper rider training and a crackdown on the large percentage of motorcyclists who do not do the right thing on the roads.

A campaign of driver awareness of motorcyclists and performing head-checks are never going to work when motorcyclists think it’s perfectly safe and legal to swerve between lanes like they’re Casey Stoner, pull into gaps in traffic that don’t exist, travel between lanes of traffic, ride down bike lanes or emergency stopping lanes just because they can.

Motorcyclists are more likely to be in less danger when they do the right thing and put some effort into their own safety.