Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

MOTORBIKE riders should have to re-sit for their licence periodically and authorities should consider granting licences only to people involved in a bike group, a Geelong region road safety campaigner has recommended.

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

but how are they going to know if the rider is a returning rider? he has had his license for years. how do they know he hasnt been riding?

Force you to join a group and then when they bring in those anti association laws were you can no longer associate with your "gang" of riders due to one being a criminal BANG, no more motorcycles

Simple...this campaigner wants everyone to join Ulyssis...

go team Jerry Atric

I reckon that all licence holders - car / bike / truck whatever - should have to be re-tested when they renew their licence. Its only once every 5 years so its hardly that onerous......

Gosling1 wrote:I reckon that all licence holders - car / bike / truck whatever - should have to be re-tested when they renew their licence. Its only once every 5 years so its hardly that onerous......

Yes, but the test needs to be more than just a 50kph crawl around suburban streets with a hill-start and a 3 point turn. Riders and drivers need to be tested on their cornering and stopping ability at speed and on slippery surfaces. But we know that will never happen while there is so much investment in the 'motor accident industry'.

The stupidity of these RoadSafe idiots astounds me. A hi-vis vest, join a numpty group like Ulyssis and front numberplate to combat rider incompetence FFS! It's the fucken Ulyssis group that make up the majority of old riders crashing.

Nelso wrote:
Yes, but the test needs to be more than just a 50kph crawl around suburban streets with a hill-start and a 3 point turn. Riders and drivers need to be tested on their cornering and stopping ability at speed and on slippery surfaces. But we know that will never happen while there is so much investment in the 'motor accident industry'.

The stupidity of these RoadSafe idiots astounds me. A hi-vis vest, join a numpty group like Ulyssis and front numberplate to combat rider incompetence FFS! It's the fucken Ulyssis group that make up the majority of old riders crashing.

Couldn't agree more with the test mate. The licence test is a joke and doesn't equip a driver/rider with the skills needed, just enough to get started and then learn.

What's so numpty about Ulysses?

Hey John, make em drive a loaded 3 tonne van down the Oxley Highway for a test, if they don,t end up off the cliff they pass

Pffft,

Good luck.

robracer wrote:Hey John, make em drive a loaded 3 tonne van down the Oxley Highway for a test, if they don,t end up off the cliff they pass

Really that's not a bad idea 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

hhhrrrmmm a possible money grab here..........I think it is a bit of an issue with returning riders coming off a long stint from the cage, but also an issue are the seasonal riders who come out and about in summer but 1st glimpse of cloud and they put the bike in the shed with the electric blanket on 2 and trickle charge connected. Then come spring with the 1st weekend of sunshine out they come and with a lil bit of rusty skills and off they come. there was a period over here in melb/vic during last spring when the sun was out on sunday's just after winter and pretty mcuh u'd wait to hear of where the accident/s were today.
And a very very high %% of these accidents involved much older riders (>45) so ppl like that should mayne come into focus sometimes

I thoght that only applied to concrete truck drivers

philbo wrote:I thoght that only applied to concrete truck drivers

Nah..... Concrete truck drivers are exempt, due to their superior skills

Dafuzz31 wrote:I think it is a bit of an issue with returning riders coming off a long stint from the cage, but also an issue are the seasonal riders who come out and about in summer but 1st glimpse of cloud and they put the bike in the shed with the electric blanket on 2 and trickle charge connected. Then come spring with the 1st weekend of sunshine out they come and with a lil bit of rusty skills and off they come.

...and what about the cage drivers that sit behind a desk all year long and then come Christmas they strap a 3 tonne caravan to the back of their car and drive for as long as they please with their brain switched off

the enquiry has happened and they made a submission
http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/rsc/article/1407
but the report hasn't come out yet.
apparently the committee weren't bunnies and it might end well.

Mr TILLEY — Firstly, can we talk about motorcycles? Do you hold a current motorcycle licence?
Mr BENNETT — No, I have never ridden a motorcycle in my life.

Having seen a lot of KSRC members ride, I think it's warranted and should be mandatory..........