If you live in Victoria, you may have noticed a lot of publicity and email flying around about a new VicRoads ‘survey’ on road safety.
Here’s an example:
“If you want to:
- Be FORCED to wear high visibility clothing – standards yet to be determined;
- Be forced to screw a numberplate onto the front of your bike – simply because VicRoads have their cameras facing the wrong way;
- Be further restricted in riding you motorcycle, under the guise of policing unsafe behaviour;
- Have you licence (car and bike) cancelled for LIFE on your 75th birthday; then
“DO NOTHING!
“BUT if you have ANY objections to the above then PLEASE go to the web site www.roadsafety.vic.gov.au and follow the links to complete the survey on road safety. In particular, take time to read and complete the sections relating to cyclists and motorcyclists.
“Just remember – if you do not agree with the proposals or the “inferred” proposals, say NOTHING that could be taken as agreement.”
That may sound a little hysterical, but it’s not that far off the mark. VicRoads is proposing 140km/h speed limiters on all vehicles, automatic licence cancellation at 75 years of age, compulsory safety clothing on motorcycles, front numberplates on bikes (or electronic identifiers) plus a host of other ideas.
The survey at www.roadsafety.vic.gov.au is full of loaded questions and assumptions, which makes a mockery of any pretence of VicRoads being a neutral administrator. It’s now clearly running its own political agenda.
I’d beware falling into the trap of answering VicRoads questions its own terms. What it has done is seek to narrow the debate.
For example, it asserts that exceeding the speed limit is dangerous and bad. In many cases that is true, but it’s also demonstrably untrue in many circumstances.
Another point: though it’s called a survey, it is not. VicRoads is offering a position paper and inviting responses to a set of closed premises. It is in no way a survey (the poor access is a clue), and nor does it invite real debate. It wants you to respond on its terms and those alone.
So, if you feel it’s worth a reply, beware replying/debating on their chosen ground. Analyse the issue, and not within VicRoads’ set parameters, and then respond.
Long-time motorcycle lobbyist Damien Codognotto (http://www.damiencodognottooam.blogspot.com.au) points out:
“In Opposition, the Baillieu Government promised a peak body to represent Victoria’s 325,000 motorcycle and scooter licence holders better. The Motorcycle Advisory Group (VMAG) was set up at VicRoads.
“The Herald Sun published (5 Sept, 2012) a “raft of options” including mandatory high visibility vests, compulsory boots, pants, jackets and gloves and front number plates on bikes. Stakeholders again were not consulted.
“There is no evidence hi viz vests work. If some small road safety benefit over a bright headlight can be gained, it can be gained through voluntary use.
“Protective clothing is used by the majority and should be encourged. A protective gear law/ADR will mean less choice, higher prices and a lot of top quality and tailored bike gear not being available in Australia.
“Front ID for motorcycles & scooters does not mean plates or stickers. Police want a tracking device regulation to fine riders and gather intelligence. Bikes are not designed to display front ID and very, very few places anywhere require it.
“VMAG was bypassed in developing this raft of options. RACV was apparently included. The motorcycle options are revenue raisers, not effective road safety initiatives. If that was not the case why not consult VMAG and develop proposals that will really do some good?”
For me, this is the killer point:
“Why not wait for the current Parliamentary Inquiry to make its recommendations?”
Indeed. VicRoads is wasting huge amounts of money and jumping the gun on an inquiry that is a more open and transparent process.
In the meantime, we got this comment from the Riders Division of Motorcycling Australia: Here’s some interesting figures relating to the issue of Front Number Plates that come Traffic Camera Infringements data presented by VicPol to the recent Parliamentary Inquiry.Motorcycles make up 1.3% of ALL vehicles detected speedingOnly .8% of all vehicles detected speeding are motorcycles that can’t be identified.
Only 5.3% of all vehicles detected speeding are motorcycles with UNREADABLE plates.10% of ALL vehicles with NO front plates or UNREADABLE plates are motorcycles.From a collection of data point of view, there is no difference between SPEEDING and SPEED or between inappropriate speed compared with excessive speed.If the only tool available to you is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail.
For those of you interstate – don’t for a moment think you’re immune. National transport ministers conduct regular councils and you rest assured many if not all these ideas will be passed on.
All the best,
Guy Allen
