Motorcycle Safety

Motorcyclists are one of the more vulnerable groups of road users on Australian roads. Therefore it is vitally important that riders gain as much road safety information as possible to assist in ensuring their safety on the road.

There has been a growth in the popularity of motorcycling over recent years. This is reflected in the figures for national motorcycle sales registrations. There were 6,500 motorcycles on the ACT register in January 2002, growing to 8,700 in January 2007.

However in the ACT, from 2000 to 2007, 18 riders and pillions have lost their lives through mistakes on their part or by others.

Motorcycles offer little protection to the rider in the event of a mishap and the consequences of even a minor crash can be severe.

This why awareness programs promote respect for the road rules, require helmets to be worn and encourage the wearing of protective clothing.

The ACT Government requires all novice riders to complete training programs prior to obtaining their licence, and further subsidises additional training for those who fail the Provisional licence test.

All riders are encouraged to do additional courses to maintain and improve their skills.

As a rider there are some simple things that you can do to improve your safety:

• Maintain your bike, tyres and gear. A good helmet, protective clothing, boots and gloves, go a long way to reducing the damage to a rider if something goes wrong.
• Do not speed. Obey all road rules. Being predictable and consistent will help other road users anticipate your riding position.
• Don’t drink and ride. A rider needs a clear head and sharp reflexes to keep safe and enjoy the ride.
• Use “roadcraft” to build a “buffer zone”, and then ride within it, adjusting your speed and position to maintain that space.
• Do a course to learn or revise the mental & physical skills needed to be a safe rider on a modern machine on modern roads.
• As a fellow road user, don’t invade the motorcyclists “buffer zone”. Motorcyclists need room to manoeuvre to maximise their safety with respect to sight, surface and space.

Learner Rider information:

The Licence process is explained at the rego.com website.

Learner and novice motorcycle licence holders can only ride motorcycles with a power to weight ratio NOT EXCEEDING 150 kilowatts per tonne until they have held a provisional motorcycle licence for 12 months.

To view the Motorcycle Power to Weight Ratios Brochure and the List of approved motorcycles, please select from the links below:

• Motorcycle Power to Weight Ratios Brochure ( PDF 385Kb )
• List of approved motorcycles ( PDF 36Kb ) 

Revise your Road Rules at these two sites:

• Road Ready Website
•  ACT Road Rules Handbook 

The following link to the NSW RTA website provides information on a number of motorcycle riding issues, including motorcycle safety measures and riding tips:

• Motorcycle Safety Information (RTA of NSW)