Zero rider limit in QLD

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By Robyn Ironside
September 16, 2009 12:00am

QUEENSLAND motorcyclists could become the first in the country to face a zero alcohol limit as desperate authorities look to cut the road toll.

Minimum clothing standards and electronic identification devices are also being considered by transport officials to increase rider safety as motorcycle deaths continue to rocket.

Since 2004, motorcycle fatalities have almost doubled in Queensland, with 54 riders and pillion passengers killed so far this year, compared with 28 the same time five years ago.

The figure represents 22 per cent of the road toll – even though motorcyclists make up just 4.5 per cent of road users.

Queensland Transport is investigating the benefits of a zero alcohol limit as part of its four-year motorcycle safety strategy, along with new technology to prevent bikes escaping speed camera detection.

Radio Frequency Identification Devices are being developed to help overcome the problem of motorbikes not having a front registration plate by allowing bikes to be identified through other means.

Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said identification was an issue for police trying to enforce the road rules.

"Some really irresponsible motorcyclists as they go through a speed camera will even reach back and put their hand over the number plate so the motorcycle can't be photographed," Mr Atkinson said.

"So they're the ones in my view who are at a higher risk of death and injury and they're the ones we really need to stop."

He said he was confident technology would solve the problem.

"There will be something that can be put safely on the front of a motorcycle that would be an identifier for the motorcycle, and would link the motorcycle to a registered number or a number plate."

Mr Atkinson was unaware of Queensland Transport's plan to introduce zero alcohol limits for motorcyclists but said such laws already existed for a wide range of road users, including truck, bus and taxi drivers, learner and provisional licence holders aged under 25, driver trainers and train and ferry drivers.

Nationally, the Australian Transport Council has recommended minimum standards for motorcyclists' clothing be examined. In Queensland, motorcyclists are only required to wear a helmet when riding and Mr Atkinson said imposing minimum standards of dress could be impractical.

"We could enforce it and we would enforce it (if minimum standards were introduced) but heat is an issue in Queensland, particularly in the state's far north," Mr Atkinson said.

Motorcycle groups yesterday supported the zero alcohol limit for riders and said a similar requirement should be considered for all road users.

"Make it zero tolerance on the road everywhere," Terry Walker of the United Motorcycle Council of Queensland said.

"But certainly we'd support a zero limit for bikers because you need to be as alert as possible when riding."

[Saki]

i dont see a problem with that at all. Motorcycling is a dangerous risky activity and i think you should have 100% concertration at all times!

[laidback]

Wonder what the BAC percentage was for those motorcyclists killed - how about some facts? AND how many were taken out by stupid drivers who shoudn't have a licence.

Seems like another politicians way of avoiding the real problem...rider AND driver training.

[laidback]

i dont see a problem with that at all. Motorcycling is a dangerous risky activity and i think you should have 100% concertration at all times!

No argument from me or most I would imagine. Only problem with zero is how long do you have to wait after having a drink before you can ride again. Might be 24 hours if you have a few drinks...does someone know that waiting period?

[red_dave]

No problems with the Zero Alcohol bit...

The RFID stuff is pure and simple revenue raising...

54 deaths in 2008 Vs 28 deaths in 2004 - there are also about 60000 more motorcycles on QLD roads in 2008 than in 2004

Linky - http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/resourc ... _part1.pdf

[Dizzi]

Firstly completely agree with the zero alcohol thing, in saying that you have to then be even careful if you have a few drinks the night before because you have every chance of it showing a reading the next day, even a small one.

In relation to the amount of deaths since 2004 in QLD, a huge consideration needs to be taken into the fact that the population in QLD in that time would quite comfortabley have grown almost by half, I know because we were looking at moving up there and checking stats over the years that they were saying so has that been taken into consideration in relation to deaths? and if the number of new motorcycle riders is anything to go off this forum we get at least a handful of newbies every couple of weeks, I don't know, the stats just seem to not really take into account the growth in both QLD and new motorcyclists. Just my 2 cents worth.

[seiko1]

Electronic ID.
Fuck this shit, it's time for a revolt.
Put more Police on the streets MF's and then we might actually believe your not
just revenue raising.

[seiko1]

i dont see a problem with that at all. Motorcycling is a dangerous risky activity and i think you should have 100% concertration at all times!

No argument from me or most I would imagine. Only problem with zero is how long do you have to wait after having a drink before you can ride again. Might be 24 hours if you have a few drinks...does someone know that waiting period?

Yes I have a bloody problem!!!!!!!!
I have at least one light beer per ride

[photomike666]

If they impose a rule, make it for all road users:-

Electrinic tag everything then there can be no contention. Otherwise it's discrimination.

Minimum clothing standards - cool, I can't wait until all motorcycle clothing has to pass safety standards. otherwise who is, and who is not to know what is deemed suitable!!!

Alcohol levels should be the same as all other road users for their licence bracket.

Better to spend the money on rider training and cage awareness.

[smithy5]

That is just bull shit, most weekend rides include a stop for lunch and a couple of beers..... The farken fun police again and their propaganda...

[Gosling1]

Looks like the seeds sown by Q-Ride are finally being reaped ..... to the detriment of ALL motorcyclists in Oz, not just the idiotic nob-jockeys up north who keep throwing themselves down the road.

Any *safety* measures bought in up there will inevitably filter through to other jurisdictions.........just fuckin' great.

[wullieb1]

Looks like the seeds sown by Q-Ride are finally being reaped ..... to the detriment of ALL motorcyclists in Oz, not just the idiotic nob-jockeys up north who keep throwing themselves down the road.

Any *safety* measures bought in up there will inevitably filter through to other jurisdictions.........just fuckin' great.

Not all riders who done Q-Ride are nob jockeys.

But then again all mexicans from below the border were born natural riders i suppose

[Gosling1]

I wasn't saying all riders who did Q-ride are nob jockeys. Not every rider who has done Q-Ride is dead yet eh ? But clearly, with SO MANY FUCKING RIDERS DYING UP THERE, there are obviously a lot of dickheads riding *way* beyond their ability. The fact that Q-Ride allowed them to ride high-powered sports bikes, with ZERO testing of their actual ability in the first place - is the reason that so many riders are dying up there today. You can blame cars, or the condition of the road, or whatever you like. It doesn't matter for shit what you blame, if you are dead.

The Q-Ride problem may have been addressed now, but yeh, that horse has well and truly left the paddock eh ?

What shits me most, is that due to the incompetence of the idiot administrators who allowed this system to fester along, lives have been lost.

And the actions taken to stop this from continuing, with all the bullshit about electronic tracking devices , will inevitably impact all other riders around the country - riders who *can* handle a couple of beers on a ride, riders who don't ride beyond their limits, and riders who have had nothing to do with all the bullshit up there - but will lose freedoms as a result.

Its crap. Simple as that.

[mick_dundee]

If they impose a rule, make it for all road users:-

Electrinic tag everything then there can be no contention. Otherwise it's discrimination.

Like our "safety" tax Mike? Blatant discrimination there, said all along I have no massive prob with the tax per se, just over $1 a week, I do have a massive prob with the discrimination of it and also there is no accountability for it, how much has been raised, how much spent, and how much spent on motorcycle specific stuff?

Minimum clothing standards - cool, I can't wait until all motorcycle clothing has to pass safety standards. otherwise who is, and who is not to know what is deemed suitable!!!

There is already an issue with this in Victoria, a rider who recently had an accident got a letter from the TAC to advise that his claim has been assessed and he was going to be offered 30% of what he is entitled too due to the fact he "contributed" to his injuries by not wearing full protective gear at the time.

Now, there are 2 MASSIVE problems with this, for starters TAC insurance is a no fault insurance, so if he is riding in a gbanger with an AS!698 approved helmet, it shouldn't matter a squat.

The other problem is of course there are no laws requiring safety gear with the exception of the helmet and those laws can't even be created as there is no Aus standard for said gear, so as you said, I have no qualms with wearing gear but lets get a standard first, no doubt it will come in the not too distant future but we'll borrow the Euro3 standard I reckon, why re-invent the wheel even though we already do so with helmets..

Better to spend the money on rider training and cage awareness.

As part of the recent PTW strategy release there is going to be an evaluation of advanced rider training, 2000 riders will do training and that will be evaluated as to it's worth, currently the belief is that if you get taught to ride better you will, and hence faster = more dangerous of course cos speed kills!

[mick_dundee]

54 deaths in 2008 Vs 28 deaths in 2004 - there are also about 60000 more motorcycles on QLD roads in 2008 than in 2004

Linky - http://www.transport.qld.gov.au/resourc ... _part1.pdf

Dave, this is no time for logic ffs, this is about stats and a reaction to the stats, despite the stats saying the "percentage" may well have dropped considerably, the gumbyment simply looks at the raw figures, we've had that argument here too, and that doesn't take in to account the amount of cars and trucks that have increased on the road that you have to contend with too.

If in 2004 you had 1000 cars on the road and 10% were shit drivers, in 2008 you have 5000 cars on the road and 10% are shit drivers, up goes the risk factor and up will go the fatalities..