Front facing number plates

The Australian Motorcycle Council recently sent out a press release in response to comments made by the Pedestrian Council of Australia (PCA) concerning the use of front-facing numberplates on motorcycles.

The PCA appeared to be taking aim at the Conference of Commissioners of Police of Australia and the South West Pacific Region, "which expressed concern that motorcycle riders can avoid speed camera penalties when photographed by cameras in the 'approach mode' due to the lack of identification on the front".

The PCA's statement added that "The Conference called for the re-introduction of front identification on motorcycles."

While the subject of front-facing numberplates on motorcycles in this country has since been dismissed, the Australian Motorcycle Council's chairman, Shaun Lennard, said "We're really surprised by this statement from the PCA and all the trouble they've apparently gone to in obtaining information through a FOI process,"

"Surprised, because if [the PCA's] Harold Scruby had contacted the AMC, we could have told him this six months ago and saved them the bother.

"The PCA release also leaves out a few key pieces of the puzzle, so it's regrettable that its contents have been so widely reported," added AMC's Shaun Lennard. "There are no OECD countries with motorcycle front numberplates, and this has been the case for almost 30 years."

At the heart of the issue is the fact that motorcycles can evade front-facing speed cameras because they only have numberplates on the rear.

"The Australian Motorcycle Council doesn't defend any riders who deliberately flout the law," continued Lennard. "However, the introduction of forward-facing speed cameras in Australia in the 1990s in the full knowledge that motorcycles did not have front numberplates, simply demonstrated the prevalent and ongoing failure in Australia to take motorcycles into account at any level of transport policy development – even in respect of enforcement measures."

"Ongoing talk about speed cameras and their inability to deal with offenders at the time of the offence also highlights what we believe is an over-concentration on speed cameras as an enforcement measure in some jurisdictions.

"How ironic is it that Australia led the world in abolishing front numberplates in the late 1970s due to a pedestrian being fatally-injured by a motorcycle numberplate in a crash?"

"We'd encourage member of the Pedestrian Council board to read the Victorian strategy, and join us in welcoming such a positive and enlightened measure aimed at addressing all the concerns and issues surrounding another group of vulnerable road users."

"Far more could be achieved if the PCA worked with groups such as the AMC rather than continued to take cheap, misguided shots at the ever-increasing number of people who ride motorcycles and scooters," Mr Lennard concluded.