A new $850,000 road safety campaign is urging motorcyclists to ride to arrive.
Road Safety Minister Michelle Roberts launched ‘Don’t push it, ride to arrive’ education campaign on Friday, with advertisements expected to appear on television screens over the weekend – coinciding with the broadcast of Saturday’s Australian MotoGP.
“Of the 196 people who lost their lives on WA roads in 2016, 40 of them were motorcycle riders or pillion passengers,” Ms Roberts said.
Of these, 60 per cent of motorcyclist fatalities did not involve another vehicle.
So far in 2017, 20 people have lost their lives in motorcycle crashes on WA roads.
This latest campaign is aimed at men aged between 30 and 49 – the most over-represented age group in motorcyclist fatalities and serious injuries last year.
The message to motorcycle riders is to consider the role of speed when they are confronted with the unexpected.
The advertisements show how a rider’s speed can affect the ability to navigate unexpected road obstacles such as an oil slick or gravel.
“One motorcyclist death on our roads is one too many, and community education is a vital tool the State Government can use to save lives and reduce the number of motorcyclist deaths in WA,” Ms Roberts said.
“I really hope the key message from this campaign – don’t push it, ride to arrive – will make a difference to the riding behaviour of our target audience of male riders aged 30 to 49, and ultimately save lives.
“Speed makes small hazards become big hazards, increasing the danger for the motorcycle rider, their pillion passenger and other road users.”
