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NEWS
Report puts cars before bikes
A discussion paper has suggested that the minimum age for a motorcycle learner’s permit should be 17 -- but only after doing the car thingA discussion paper about graduated licencing for motorcycle riders has advocated that people begin their road-based journey at 17, and only after 12 months with a car licence.
The recommendation is contained in an Austroads report, released this week. Austroads is tasked with, among a number of roles, to “provide expert technical input to national policy development on road and road transport issues”. The author of the discussion paper, Dr Ron Christie, passed away before it was fully completed, but Austroads still chose to publish it in “unrevised” form, as it forms an extension to the Australian National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020.
The discussion paper, which is non-binding, also recommends that permit holders not ride between 10:00pm and 5:00am, and wear a hi-vis vest at all times. They must hold the licence for a minimum of six months, and cannot progress to the intermediate stage unless they have a ‘clean’ driving record. Similarly, intermediate ricers cannot get a full license without a clean card.
The report also addressed a number of rider licensing issues not directly related to a model GLS for novice riders, including discussion of the periodic re-testing of riders and measures that could improve rider safety and compliance with traffic laws. Some of the conclusions were:
- There is little evidence to suggest that the periodic re-testing of motorcycle licence holders would reduce crash or injury risk;
- The re-testing of riders who relocate from overseas or interstate is not warranted where they were initially subject to licensing standards that meet or exceed Australian requirements or equivalency;
- Despite the lack of clear evidence that riders who return to motorcycling after a break of even five years have a higher crash rate per distance travelled than continuing riders, it may be prudent to identify and assist these riders as they are most likely to be at risk in the early weeks or months of returning to on-road riding;
- A potential measure when a novice rider licence is suspended for serious traffic offences or the accumulation of demerit points is to impound or immobilise the offender’s motorcycle in parallel with applicable existing suspension penalties;
- Repeat offences should attract vehicle forfeiture similar to anti-hoon law provisions;
- Unlicensed riding initiatives may need to be accompanied by public education campaigns to inform the public of the need and process to be properly licensed to ride a motorcycle;
- It may be worth monitoring the effects of both the New South Wales and South Australian use of lower demerit point thresholds for novice driver/rider speeding behaviour for potential application across Australian jurisdictions.
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Written byBikesales Staff
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