Here we go again, saving us from ourselves. Experts involved, not good.

V

Vince

Hero member
Stupid Facebook not loading as usual. NSW Premier Chris Minns has called a summit on Motocycling Safety involving EXPERTS, that usually means writing laws that help. That's not a good thing in my experience.

www.nsw.gov.au

Rise in motorcyclist deaths to be addressed at upcoming roundtable

Experts from across Australia will gather in Sydney next month for a Motorcyle Safety Roundtable convened by the Minns Labor Government after the number of motorcyclists dying on NSW roads hit a 10-year high.
www.nsw.gov.au www.nsw.gov.au
 
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There were many more deaths than normal here in Norway last year too, but it seems that the authorities do not just focus on speed, especially as many killed are "aged returners to mc life" on cruiser type bikes who have not brushed up on riding and reading the road skills. The focus is on road conditions, under-rails on armco in corners, as well as promoting de-rusting of skills courses. For every death there are also many who go through the recovery process.
 
That under barrier on Armcon happened here as well. I would love to see some real work on this, but one recent non-helpful thing has just happened. A trial of Time Over Distance Cameras is happening. It's never rider training or other expensive practical things. It's Cameras and fines. Thats never going to affect Dickhead antices on the road, unless its intensive, like a week in a Cell or a visit to a spinal unit to shock people into relising bad things happen if you drive or ride like a dickhead.
 
Vince,

There'll always be more than enough dickheads to warrant fines and penalties, I have them literally racing across my front doorstep here! Over the limit by at least 60-70kmh, often more, in a rural "residential" area. For all I care, they shouldn't be allowed to set their greasy arses in a car or on a motorcycle for the rest of their stupid lives and no fine can be high enough, 'cos they're mostly to dumb to learn from their mistakes.

Lees' comment is also valid, news here are full of fatalities of old codgers over-estimating themselves, people who return to biking and seem to think they're just as immortal as they were 40-odd years ago. But bikes and traffic conditions have changed dramatically since then, shame their brains didn't keep up. I know of one guy that bought a Yamaha R1 when he returned to biking at 78, could hardly swing a leg over it but rode like a madman. Nobody's going to convince me that his eyesight, reactions, etc are still as fine-tuned as 50 years prior. Sad but true...

I'm no angel myself and most certainly enjoy a bit of hooning. But, as soon as I see a house, driveway entrance, garbage cans, bus stops or any other sign of population, I roll off the throttle and become extra cautious. Perhaps why I've survived unscathed for so long? Also been decades since I bagged my last speeding ticket. But then, I've never been away from biking since I was 19, so I guess there's a certain amount of experience and routine I can count upon.

piet
 
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100% agree Piet. My go too is years of experience and even then I get surprised by Dickhead acts. If you watch those Dash Cam vids, I am amazed there are not huge numbers more killed. You contanty see Mad stuff on those videos, mm from a Culpable Manslauter charge, so many dont give a fuck.
 
Here in NZ there is the same authoritarian pre-occupation with speed, but also they implemented a program of cheap (or free) rider courses, that are high quality day-long practical rides, which also go towards a discount on the outrageous vehicle registration costs. I did a few just for the discount, but now I can't speak highly enough of them. I've been riding all my life but I was definitely in danger of being one of those old codgers who thought they knew more than the instructor. Didn't realize how much I didn't know until I got a bit of instruction.
I've since started a bit of low level racing too, now THAT sharpens your reactions!
 
... call them "bikers that never were" had a bike in their teens, mum and dad freaked out, bought them a car and got rid of the bike. Sat behind one family man on his very nice immaculate SF3, first corner, he navigated in the near vertical, all i could do to stop running into the back of him. Next corner, same thing, ( i ) had backed off though this time. I asked if he liked retro or hot rod cars? He did, suggested strongly to take that option and have a family day out, he was eye alarming to watch on a single track vehicle. No doubt others here have witnessed similar, doubt my own competencies now, all but stopped riding, other factors also. j
 
It's the Wild West here in Portland with absolutely no police enforcement of traffic laws or speeding. There's rampant homeless driving dangerous un-licensed cars filled to the brim with all their belongings. Un-licensed electric bikes and scooters don't obey stop lights or traffic laws. Police have been instructed not to pull over anyone unless making EXTREME violations. Cars routinely speed down streets with 25 mph limits doing well over 45-60 mph. But this is the land of "Live Free or Die".
 
sfcpiet said:
Vince,

There'll always be more than enough dickheads to warrant fines and penalties, I have them literally racing across my front doorstep here! Over the limit by at least 60-70kmh, often more, in a rural "residential" area. For all I care, they shouldn't be allowed to set their greasy arses in a car or on a motorcycle for the rest of their stupid lives and no fine can be high enough, 'cos they're mostly to dumb to learn from their mistakes.

Lees' comment is also valid, news here are full of fatalities of old codgers over-estimating themselves, people who return to biking and seem to think they're just as immortal as they were 40-odd years ago. But bikes and traffic conditions have changed dramatically since then, shame their brains didn't keep up. I know of one guy that bought a Yamaha R1 when he returned to biking at 78, could hardly swing a leg over it but rode like a madman. Nobody's going to convince me that his eyesight, reactions, etc are still as fine-tuned as 50 years prior. Sad but true...

I'm no angel myself and most certainly enjoy a bit of hooning. But, as soon as I see a house, driveway entrance, garbage cans, bus stops or any other sign of population, I roll off the throttle and become extra cautious. Perhaps why I've survived unscathed for so long? Also been decades since I bagged my last speeding ticket. But then, I've never been away from biking since I was 19, so I guess there's a certain amount of experience and routine I can count upon.

piet
Click to expand...
Motorcycling isn't dangerous as long as remember it is!

Don't recall whose quote this is.
 
Teddy: Man ! I'm so sorry to hear "The Rose City" where I lived for awhile in the mid-70s
with a girl I met in Sun Valley,ID has turned into what you describe....tragic. Maybe all those
meth labs out in the Oregon countryside have moved into town. Sad...
 
You can tell spring has sprung around here when " safety " notices start appearing attached to various things like speed limit signs by the roadside .

South Gloucestershire has recently dusted off their " Think Bike " signs ( directed at car drivers , obviously ) , and " Filter With Care " ( directed at me , obviously ) .
It`s nice to know that they acknowledge that filtering is an essential tool in motorcycling`s armoury when faced with half a mile of stationary cars waiting at yet another set of temporary lights ........... and that they seem to be positively encouraging me to do it ...... good for them .........

On the other hand , Gloucestershire have recently put up their " Bends ahead ...... DEAD slow " , with an image of a bike included ........ which is a little distasteful , I reckon ....... especially as they have positioned it on the A46 just as you approach the wiggly bit which avoids Nan Tows Tump ....... ( a prehistoric BURIAL mound ) ........ nice little bit of unintended irony there , I always think ...........

If you get a clear run , then Nan Tow can be good fun , even if you`re dog slow like me ..........


Completely un-related factoid ............ Nan Tow obviously isn`t really interred inside a 2000 year old burial chamber ...... she was some poor old biddy who was accused of being a witch some 350 plus years ago ............ a poor harvest , or continual rainfall , a pestilence of rats , who knows ......... she became the scapegoat , and took the blame for all the bad luck , and was finished off by the locals .... ( a little bit like Bad Day At Black Rock , but with West Country accents ) ........

To cover up her disappearance , a story was invented that she is actually entombed inside the mound ....... upside down ...... head pointing toward the ground , feet pointing up toward the sky ........... so she heads straight down to Hell , being a witch , of course .....


Nice 60/70 mph bends ....... just watch out for stuff exiting the lane leading to Midger Woods .........
 
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delme to-die-for-motorcycle-road-sign-D878HY.jpg

We get this kinda cheery message in the UK, with variants from county to county.

I wish they hadn't chosen an Aprilia [same as mine] for the pic though, my missus noticed and never gave up ranting how I should take more care on 'That Death Bike'.

Ironically, at around that time it was she who crashed on her VFR800 and narrowly escaped a trip to the crematorium.
 
Haggis said:
View attachment 95721

We get this kinda cheery message in the UK, with variants from county to county.

I wish they hadn't chosen an Aprilia [same as mine] for the pic though, my missus noticed and never gave up ranting how I should take more care on 'That Death Bike'.

Ironically, at around that time it was she who crashed on her VFR800 and narrowly escaped a trip to the crematorium.
Click to expand...
Apparently, in our fucked up society, there's no other effective method of getting the message across. See shock pics on fag packs.

Lots of people too stupid for their own good... common sense has long gone down the drain.

piet
 
Fortunately we still have many roads that have genuinely unrestricted speed limits. As long as you don’t abuse the freedom then generally you will have a bit of fun and cause no hurt to you or anyone else. However, I don’t see the situation lasting for ever. We currently have a bit of a backlash against the roll out of blanket 20mph speed limits in many areas in the island. Some are probably appropriate, but a lot aren't justified by the evidence of accidents in that locality.
 
Northern Territory in Australia had no open road speed limit until that shit-head Howard forced them to. There had really never been a problem with it but some cannonball race thing had a high profile crash with a supercar driver speed-blind crash through a control post at high speed killing an official, and that was "proof" that it was unsafe. It used to be great.
 
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