Federal safety strategies

http://www.atsb.gov.au/road/nrss/nrssp_290803.cfm

is the minutes of the National Road Safety Strategy panel, which consits
of a bunch of govt and non-govt organisations.

Note the stuff on front number plates.


Note also the reliance on that bloody Adelaide study about crash risk
and speed. Too bad we don't have the money to fund a competing one!

Zebee

 

"It was noted that Vicroads was consulting closely with the Victorian
Motorcycle Council on this issue."

And what the hell are VMAC doing about it? Would be nice to see their
minutes, but of course those are not available to non-members and those
members can't share them because they are required to sign confidentiality
agreements when the government invites them to join VMAC.

Marcus Wigan's (Oxford Systematics) report to VicRoads on Visual Front
Motorcycle Number Identification should be touted whenever it's discussed.
For those that don't have a copy, get it @
http://allen.dnsalias.net/bikes/frontplates.pdf


Cheers,
Jason

 

These studies will always prove what the Bureaucrats want them to prove, we
as a motorcycling community have no chance to fight this issue with another
study, we must become politically active to show that we will not put up
with front number plates, and not fit them.

Boxer

 

There is a simple solution to the numbe plate problem, just don't put it
on, if most peope don't put them on it will have to be abolished. I'm
willing to get a fine or 2 for the greater good. How about u?

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 7 Jan 2004 00:27:46 +1100

NOt having it will make your bike unroadworthy. As in defected. I
don't think you'll find many willing to have their bike de-registered
and thus cop that much hassle, plus being unsaleable.

Zebee

 

If there is enough support then it can work.

On a lesser issue; I have black and white number plates for the bike.
They are a 2 plate set and legally I should have both plates fitted.
When was the last time you heard of somebody being prosecuted for this
?

 

Why wait till it gets to that point?...

Fight any plans to introduce frontal ID in the first place.

Doug Cox.
Work to ride, Ride to work...

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 07 Jan 2004 07:38:05 +1100

Don't give them ideas!

(And you do realise that if FNP comes in, you will have to fit it?)

I'm hoping the FNP thing will fail because the manufacturers/importers
won't support it.

Zebee

 

In aus.motorcycles on Tue, 06 Jan 2004 21:10:03 GMT

For one thing, it means the govt doesn't lose face.

What other situations have there been where the govt has mandated
something that they've trumpeted as a solution to a problem and that
kind of civil disobedience has worked?

I can't think of any...

Zebee

 

Compulsory lights-on?

---
Cheers

PeterC [aka MildThing]
'81 Suzuki GS450-s
'87 BMW K100RT

www.dmcsc.org.au

 

Quite simply, we all have to refuse to put these things on our
motorcycles. A concerted effort with all motorcyclists involved is the
only way. Interesting that the paper makes no mention of that most
beneficial motorcycle safety initiative: rider training. Hasn't this had
the single biggest effect in recent years? Oh sorry, forgot "enforcement"
and hence revenue is the unspoken aim. S.

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 07 Jan 2004 08:46:16 +1000

nope. as that was an ADR and only affected new bikes. VEry few owners
of new bikes bypassed the hardwired lights and fitted a switch.

What killed that was not civil disobedience but a hell of a lot of hard
work on the part of lobby groups researching the facts, and *crucially*,
an opposition looking for votes who had an actual chance of getting in.

I think bicycle helmets might be a bit closer, in that lots of people
don't wear them, and there doesn't seem to be a blitz on not wearing
them. However, cyclists not wearing them are in a minority still, and
most carry the things so they can become legal if they see a cop, do
that with a front plate!

Also, bike helmets aren't tied to revenue raising in the same way that
front plates are.

Zebee

 

Eh? You never got told off for NOT having your light on?

Hammo RZing at the time

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 07 Jan 2004 10:47:51 +1100

Nope. As I was not riding a new bike.

A copper may have said it was better to have the lights on (I can't
remember if any did) but I was never told I had to.

And if I had been I'd have said "dont' have to, this bike was made
before that was a required mod".

I did have the cross of tape on the light which was the method of
showing you didn't agree with compulsory lights on.

Zebee

 

Under what argument? As I see it, there is really only two valid arguments
against them...

1. Safety - They could hurt ourselves or pedestrians etc. Stickers or
similiar erradicates this problem.
2. Cost - It will cost heaps to put them in place, and this cost far
outweighs the advantages gained.

Other than that, who has a compelling un-emotive argument against them? Why
are we so special than all other roads users that we shouldn't have them?


Cheers,
Jason

 

We don't need them. Most countries don't have them.

I don't believe *any* road users need them. Cameras can take photos from the
rear. No need for frontal ID. I hope, as does Zebee, that the notion will
die a natural death when they figure out there's no way to fit plates to
such a multitude of motorcycle types.

Cant put it on my screen, that'll obscure my forward vision.

Not possible to put it on the fairing, little clear space and too many
curves.

Helmets can be swapped.

Front guard mounting will interfere with suspension travel.

Fork leg mounting may change airflow and handling characteristics and is
unlikely to provide the view they're seeking.

Not possible.

Doug Cox.
Work to ride, Ride to work...

 

Neither was I. 83 RZ350 with 250 stickers.

I was told I'd be fined next time.

That I didn't know.

I kept a low profile after being followed into my driveway with cop's lights
and siren on, and after the letter I sent in to get off the infringements I
was given.

Hammo

 

Someone printed up a batch of "Stuff Lights On" stickers.. thin, black
stickers designed to go across the headlight. I still have handful of them
here somewhere... found them a short while ago I was looking for something.

Nev..
'03 ZX12R
'02 CBR1100XX

 

Zebee Johnstone said....

ZJ> http://www.atsb.gov.au/road/nrss/nrssp_290803.cfm

Thanks for that. The MRA (Vic) forum has this link, along with a summary
of your comments.

ZJ> Note also the reliance on that bloody Adelaide study about crash risk
ZJ> and speed. Too bad we don't have the money to fund a competing one!

I thought that this "study" was flawed and discredited by other
academics. Is this not the case? If it is flawed, where can we dredge up
the info on this?

 

In aus.motorcycles on Wed, 07 Jan 2004 11:32:48 GMT

I gave the only link on commentary I know about.

THat a study so useful to speed cameras has been discredited isn't going
to stop its use, is it.... If you can find other discrediting then
please post it here, a collection of them would be useful.

Zebee