Latest News

He's Doohan it for road safety

Oct 31, 2009

FORMER world motorcycle champion Mick Doohan is the new face of safe riding in South Australia.

Mr Doohan said a graphic new TV commercial, which superimposes everyday objects like phone boxes and trees on to a motorcycle track, should leave no doubt about the consequences of a street crash.

View full article here

See video here

Two wheels wins in crowded Sydney

Oct 28, 2009

Rising fuel costs, congestion, no parking, poor public transport and environmental concerns are driving up motorcycle use.

Yet, transport policy lags far behind and has failed to create equity for this growing group of road users.

Sydney Council’s move to free motorcycle parking one year ago has been widely applauded and embraced. Yet, the State Government has failed to create road toll and registration equity, and has inadequately invested in safety campaigns, according to the Motorcycle Council of NSW.

“The total spend on safety campaigns since 2003 has been less than four million,’’ Guy Stanford of the Motorcycle Council of NSW said. “But it makes economic sense to move to a scooter or small bike. The average car journey carries 1.1 people, rolling a tonne-and-a-half to shift just one person.

“Motorcycles are less than 200kg. A lot of people are shifting to motorcycles for convenience, initially because of the overstretched public transport system. But as petrol prices start to bite, it makes economic sense. There has been a big growth in 250cc bikes.’’

View full article here

Motorcycle Buyers Encourage to Take Advantage of Economic Incentives

Oct 12, 2009

Figures released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) show 82,601 motorcycles, scooters and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were sold in the nine months to September – a 14.4 per cent decline compared to the same period in 2008.

“The motorcycle market has faced a period of challenging economic circumstances and although down on the record highs of last year has remained resilient,” FCAI Chief Executive Andrew McKellar said.

View full article here

UNSW Helmet Performance Study

The UNSW School of Risk & Safety is looking for motorcyclists who have been involved in an accident in the last 3 months to participate in a research project to investigate Helmet Performance. Please visit the Helmet Study site for more information.

About the study

When correctly fitted and worn, helmets can greatly reduce the incidence and severity of head and brain injury in a wide range of impacts.

Over the past decade, little research has been conducted to assess improvements in helmet technologies and the reductions in head injury risk. The University of New South Wales (UNSW) School of Safety Science is therefore conducting a study on pedal and motor cycle crashes to evaluate helmet performance in the context of injury prevention.

The effectiveness of helmets in real-life crashes will be examined by means of a NSW-based, in-depth pedal and motor cycle accident study. The study involves the collection of detailed information on the crash circumstances, injury, and the helmet damage. The relationship between helmet performance and injury provides the critical elements to identify limitations and effectiveness of the current helmet designs in protecting the user and preventing head injury.

The study is funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) in partnership with NSW RTA, TAC (Victoria), NRMA, ATSB, and DVExperts International.

Have you recently been involved in a pedal cycle or motor cycle crash?

The school is interested in talking to motorcycle riders of all ages and back-grounds who have recently (i.e. in the past 3 months) been involved in a fall or collision. In particular, they would like to talk to riders who received some impact to the helmeted head, regardless of whether an injury occurred.

If you are interested in helping, visit the website to fill in the application form. Alternatively, you can download a brochure with the form attached from the website, and mail or fax it to the school at the address provided.

Your participation* will involve:

  • A brief interview in which the school will obtain information about the circumstances of the crash†.
  • If you have been injured, they may seek to obtain specific injury information†.
  • If available, they would like to examine your bike, helmet and clothing worn at the time of the crash.
  • The Project team may need to take your helmet away for detailed examination.
  • If possible, the team may take some basic anthropometrical measurements§; such as height, weight, and head dimensions.

* Participants are free to withdraw from the study at any time without prejudice.
§ The school anticipates that there will be no risks or discomfort related to your involvement in this study.
† Information obtained will remain strictly confidential.