A trend amongst older, cashed-up people to buy larger and more powerful motorbikes as they return to riding poses serious safety concerns, RoadSafe Barwon argues.
In a submission to a state inquiry into Motorcycle Safety, the community group calls for returning riders to be tested when their licence needs to be renewed.
"The committee should consider that motorcycle endorsements on driver's licences should be subject to a sunset period, so that when a licence is required to be renewed ... it is necessary for a rider to re-sit the licence test."
RoadSafe Barwon also recommends:
MINIMUM protective standards, including jackets, trousers, gloves and footwear: "Appropriate protective equipment is the most feasible means of improving chances of survival in a collision";
CONSIDERING placing a requirement on licences that riders are registered with a motorcycle group; and
FITTING registration plates to both the front and rear of bikes, to help tackle law-breaking riders.
Victoria Police said returning riders made up a significant percentage of the road trauma statistics each year, with the numbers of deaths and injuries in the sector increasing.
The police believe better training and education for first-time riders and for riders returning after a long hiatus would reduce road crashes, and also advocates for national standard high-visibility protective clothing laws.
RoadSafe Barwon echoes sentiments from the Ulysses Club, which argues that very little of the money raised by a safety levy on Victorian motorcycles has been used for sector-specific safety improvements.
"Comparing the relatively small amounts of non-levy money spent on motorcyclists with the $18 million per year that was allocated to cyclists, the unfairness is immediately obvious," the Ulysses Club says.
The Road Safety Committee will table a report for the inquiry in State Parliament later this year.
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/art ... _news.html
Oh.. where to start
It's the fucken Ulyssis group that make up the majority of old riders crashing. 
Perhaps if every driver / rider was forced to upgrade their Licence every so many years, eventually everyone over 30 would be licenced to drive Road Trains and motorists would have more respect and understanding for each other. When I was a P Plater, I used to think truck drivers were just aggressive assholes due to the size of their vehicle, but now i'm much wiser 
