Motorcycle Safety - West Vs East

[khall64au]

Wednesday July 18, 07:25 AM

Motor scooters a menace on roads: survey

As motorcycle and scooter sales soar, more than one third of NSW drivers say scooters are the "new menace" on Sydney roads.

Scooter sales for the six months to April were 20 per cent higher than the same period last year, while motorcycle sales enjoyed an even bigger jump - of 36 per cent - in the same period, insurance company AAMI says.

But it says motor scooters, usually with automatic transmission and simpler to ride, are still seen as a worse hazard than their more powerful two-wheeled counterparts on major city roads.

Quoting figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, AAMI said almost half of the 120,827 scooters and motorcycles registered in NSW last year are located in Sydney.

"Motorcycle and scooter sales have soared over the past 12 months - possibly because of rising fuel costs, road traffic and congestion and people's frustration with crowded public transport," AAMI NSW corporate affairs manager Selina O'Connor said in a statement.

"However, according to the latest AAMI research, many drivers are annoyed with the increased presence of motor scooters on major city roads, with one-third of NSW drivers calling them the 'new menace'."

The research also showed 78 per cent of NSW car drivers in the survey said they had seen motorcyclists breaking the law and taking unnecessary risks on the roads.

"This isn't to say that car drivers are any safer or less erratic than motorcyclists, but it does suggest they need to be more vigilant and not take dangerous risks like ducking and weaving in and out of traffic," Ms O'Connor said.

"The unfortunate and often tragic reality is that the motorcycle or scooter rider will come off second best in an accident involving a car, regardless of who is at fault."

Mr O'Connor said a 2004 RTA study had shown in the event of a crash, motorcycle riders were 20 times more likely to be killed than drivers.

[a2396]

What's the point of your post? The text refers to scooters in Australia (NSW). Motocycle safety in Thailand is a quite a different topic. What goes here is not the same as the western world.

[jbowman1993]

[PeaceBlondie]

I have no idea what scooters would be like in urban Australia, but many of us know what they are like in big Thai cities. And yes, they are dangerous. As the rider of a small sportbike with big wheels and six gears, I find the scooters with their four gears (or no gears), teeny and spindly wire wheels, crummy drum brakes, etc., to be less controllable, especially when a grandmother with four family members is driving a nine year old Honda Dream 100 that's been poorly maintained. One actual advantage in Thailand is that most of the drivers of cars have also operated two wheelers, and have some knowledge, even some respect, for cyclists. I doubt the average Australian driver of a Holden V-8 or big SUV appreciates the problems of a scooter rider.

[a2396]

I think there is some confusion of terms here. Many small motorcycles sold in Thailand are referred to as scooters in the promotional literature for UK & European market. Such bikes as a Yamaha MIO & Honda Wave fit this description,although the exact models are not marketed in UK or USA. I think such things a Vespa are also referred to as scooters. When I was a kid in USA, a scooter was a small two-wheeled contraption that was propelled by your own footpower. It would be nice if the local "powers that be" in LOS took some interest in MC safety. Every evening I see numerous bikes with no lights, going the wrong direction, no helments, underage operators, 3 or 4 riders on one, etc.

[PeaceBlondie]

That's what I thought was meant by 'scooters,' and even a CBR150 might be a scooter in Australia. They are very much part of the traffic flow here, and everybody pretty well knows how they're driven. In big Western cities, sometimes the driving public has no regard for little putt-putts that drive in the gutter at 9 kph.

[lazeeboy]

That's what I thought was meant by 'scooters,' and even a CBR150 might be a scooter in Australia. They are very much part of the traffic flow here, and everybody pretty well knows how they're driven. In big Western cities, sometimes the driving public has no regard for little putt-putts that drive in the gutter at 9 kph.

its more dangerous here 1 theres more of them 2 yhey dont like helmets 3 they dont go by the traffic laws........

[seonai]

I'd like to think I am a good and careful motorbike rider. I stay in the hard shoulder and drive at about 40 mph. I feel intimidated by cars at times though as cars go faster than me! Cement mixers on Phuket ain't much fun either!!!! (Bypass Road !) The helmets in thailand are generally crap though I have to say, not much point wearing them really.

One of my bosses in Phuket once told me I was being dangerous by driving so slowly but I don't see why I should have to speed up just because everyone else wants to go fast. On Phuket people drive like there's no tomorrow and.... the road rules are somewhat sketchy !!!! (My smileys aren't working)

[viciouskitty74]

I'd like to think I am a good and careful motorbike rider. I stay in the hard shoulder and drive at about 40 mph. I feel intimidated by cars at times though as cars go faster than me! Cement mixers on Phuket ain't much fun either!!!! (Bypass Road !) The helmets in thailand are generally crap though I have to say, not much point wearing them really.

One of my bosses in Phuket once told me I was being dangerous by driving so slowly but I don't see why I should have to speed up just because everyone else wants to go fast. On Phuket people drive like there's no tomorrow and.... the road rules are somewhat sketchy !!!! (My smileys aren't working)

2 sentence:

One, get a full face helmet somewhere you think its safe to use.

Two, your speed are so slow, its a hazards to other road users, not just because they are fast, but because they cant see you or never expect you to be moving. Going with the flow of the traffic ensures that other vehicles arent speeding up to trying to get past you and resulting in blindsiding other road users. Nobody is racing with you or expecting you to race with them.

Edited July 21, 2007 by viciouskitty74

[Mid]

a quick search didn't turn up anything more recent than 2005 .

Road Safety Situation

According to official statistics (police), 12,858 people were killed in road crashes in 2005. However the real number might even be higher. According to documentation from the health sector, the real death toll could be 20,000 or more if victims who die after being removed from the crash scene are included.

The primary causes of road crashes are the dangerous mix of motorcyclists and larger vehicles, alcohol impaired driving, and excessive speed. Many road deaths happen during the two national holidays: New Year (6 days) December/January and Songkran (9 days) in April.

In 2005 the road fatality rate were 20.6/105 population and 5.09/104 vehicles.

According to Thailand’s crash records, the main features of the country’s road crash and injury problem are:

The working adult age group (25-59 years) represents the majority of those dying in road crashes (over 50%) followed by young people aged 15-24 years who account for 29% of the total fatalities.

Many deaths occur during 2 holiday periods, New Year and Songkran.

45% of deaths in 2004 occurred on the national highways, half of them involving motorcycles

44% of the total number of road crash injuries in Thailand occur in Bangkok compared with only 6% of the country’s fatalities

In average less than 17% of all injured used seat belts and less than 15% used crash helmets. Numbers are higher in Bangkok where enforcement is stricter

Of all injured: 75% are male

The Police identified excessive speed as the most common cause of crashes followed by unsafe passing and illegal overtaking

In Khon Kaen Province (Northern Thailand), 81 % of total injured patients admitted to hospitals in 2002 were motorcycle injury victims. It is believed that this is likely to reflect the situation in other provinces too

Hospital data indicates that over half of injured drivers and riders had been drinking alcohol

While the actual statistics should be treated with some caution due to possible under-reporting, analyses indicate the primary causes of road crashes: excessive speed involving mixed traffic (also vulnerable road users), drinking and driving, dangerous overtaking and the poor use of helmets.

grsproadsafety.org

Edited July 21, 2007 by Mid