Police target GOR

[Smitty]

Speeding bikers left nowhere to hide
*
By Debbie Cuthbertson
November 30, 2005 - 1:39PM

Motorcyclists who speed along the Great Ocean Road will have nowhere to hide this summer, with police patrolling every corner of the scenic route from the skies and on the ground.

The warning came today as communities along the iconic road urged riders to slow down amid fears summer's influx of tourists will lead to growing numbers of fatal motorcycle crashes.

Sergeant Pat Cleary from the Surf Coast traffic management group said police wanted to dispel the myth that motorcyclists couldn't be caught speeding on the many blind corners along the road.

He said "covert" surveillance would detect any speeding riders.

"We were finding that there was a perception that, along a part of the road, police can't enforce (speed limits) due to the bends," Sergeant Cleary said.

The police air wing would patrol the road in conjunction with vehicles on the ground, who would intercept anyone caught speeding, he said.

Road Safe Barwon chairman Roger Northam, a motorcycle rider who was seriously injured in a crash in his 20s, said people should not treat the winding road as a race track.

"You just can't race the Great Ocean Road," he said. "Just enjoy it."

Mr Northam said lowering the speed limit and improving the road's condition had helped reduce the number of casualties so far this year, but this was not enough.

Crash statistics released today at the launch of a new motorcycle safety strategy show the majority of accidents on the road involve riders from Melbourne.

Staff from Lorne Community Hospital have spoken out about the "horrific injuries" caused by motorcycle crashes.

Director of Nursing Kim Peter said it was hard on staff to see so many riders seriously injured in crashes that were avoidable.

"Many of the injuries we see are horrific and they change peoples lives forever," he said.

"The high number of motorcycle crash victims over the summer period puts great pressure on our little hospital."

- theage.com.au

[Steve_TLS]

They will over patrol the road and accident numbers will drop.

Then some bone head will get up in front of state parliment and say since introducing the $50 rego levy for motorcycle safety and some of it being spent on the GOR, motorcycle accidents on the road have dropped. "Here, here, let's keep the tax in place." There will be no mention of the dropped speed limit or extra police presence and we'll be stuck with the cost forever.

[icebreaker]

And if they were more interested in patroling the roads as opposed to just catching people in the wrong and making money Accidents/Tolls would be down.... But you don't make money from Patrolling or just givng Police Presence...

[Smitty]

a further update today....
from http://www.theage.com.au

Bid to cut toll of Surf Coast bikers

By Selma Milovanovic
December 1, 2005

POLICE will set up roadblocks (WTF?) on the Great Ocean Road this summer and work under cover to reduce the number of motorcycle accidents on the Surf Coast.

Motorcyclists from Melbourne are involved in more than 40 per cent of Surf Coast motorcycle accidents.

Police and RoadSafe yesterday launched a motorcycle safety program.

Sergeant Pat Cleary, of the Surf Coast traffic management unit, said many visiting riders were not accustomed to the sudden weather changes, had the wrong tyres, rode too fast or were not aware of local road hazards such as falling rocks.

"We have noticed an increased number of highly dangerous incidents and this campaign is designed to remove erratic and dangerous riders and drivers from the Great Ocean Road and other roads in the Otways," he said. Police will set up roadblocks, use the helicopter squad and conduct covert operations.

Road condition warnings and a RoadSafe Barwon information brochure will be given to motorcyclists.

--------------------------------------------
yeah great publicity
especially when they put it up with this photo....

[mfzx6r]

ah yes just in time to make more money for the xmas period

Sergeant Pat Cleary is FOS

[mrmina]

who cares.... fook'em thats what i reckon.

[javaman]

I reckon ghostrider should pay a visit this summer and get a nice helicopter chase video.

[Shifty]

I've never been there, so I don't know.. but if this is actually about cutting down on the number of dangerous riders I'm all for it. If this is revenue raising anti-motorcycle rubbish like we get up here, then fuck 'em.

[Barrabob]

Well if your dumb enough to ride on the wrong side of the road you will get cleaned up.

I always have stayed on my side of the road unless i can see a long way up the road some people say i am tentative to overtake but i am still here and really like the way some vic cage drivers pulled over enough so i could get by without having to ride on the other side of the road.

Must have been all those billboards with the green bike on them.

sounds like they are going to do what they did up mt G and nebo and just hassle everything they see for any trivial thing they can think of...better part your hair the right way before you head down the gor.