This National Motorcycle Safety Awareness Week, the ACT Government is reminding all road users to 'share the road' in step with our 'Vision Zero' - where no accident on our roads results in death or serious injury.
Key facts:
- Motorcycle Safety Awareness Week takes place from 12 to 18 October 2019.
- There are 36, 691 licenced motorcycle riders in the ACT.
- Motorcyclists are considered 'vulnerable road users' in the ACT, and are over-represented in crash statistics.
- 30% of all fatal crashes between 2007 and 2016 involved a motorcycle.
- 35% of motorcycle fatalities during this period were attributed to speed.
- A safe system audit completed in 2018 found that to address these deaths we must focus on improved rider training, improved motorcycle awareness for drivers and speeding enforcement.
Reminders to Canberrans to help keep our roads safe:
- Share the road and look out for vulnerable road users when changing lanes or making turns and provide greater following distances when behind a motorbike.
- Be aware that motorcyclists are permitted to lane filter and may appear between vehicles stopped at traffic lights.
- Teach your kids to count motorbikes on the road thus helping them become more aware of their presence which will aid their hazard perception skills when they learn to drive.
- Always keep to the speed limit and ride to the road conditions and choose appropriate speeds for the environment and weather.
- Remember to use indicators when turning or changing lanes, don't sit in a vehicle's blind spot.
- As a motorcycle rider have you looked into advanced motorcycle rider training to upgrade your skills?
Comments attributable to Minister for Road Safety Shane Rattenbury:
"Every life matters, and road safety is everyone's responsibility. Vision Zero can be summarised simply: no loss of life on our roads is acceptable.
"Our road safety responsibilities cut both ways. While we encourage to Canberra motorcyclists to keep their skills up to date and attend regular rider training sessions, we also need other drivers to share the road to help keep our vulnerable road users safe.
"We as a community should not have to endure the heartbreak associated with road trauma - but it means we need all Canberrans to take their road safety responsibilities seriously.
