Rider Safety Survey (via Ulysses Club)

UCRSC ENewsletter

October is a busy month – the better weather is back for a lot of us and the rides are more frequent.

October is Motorcycle Awareness Month in most state and territories. In NSW, it is run by the Motorcycle Council of NSW alongside Transport for NSW.

In Victoria, Motorcycle Awareness Month is led by the Motorcycle Community Engagement Panel and heavily promoted via the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) Spokes campaign and promoted by the Victorian Motorcycle Council (VMC).

In Queensland, Motorcycle Awareness Month is run by Queensland Police Service, and in South Australia, it is a campaign run by SA Police.

In the ACT, Motorcycle Awareness Month is run by the MRA ACT with strong support from ACT Government.

In W.A. Motorcycle Awareness Week is held in March, coinciding with the very popular York Motorcycle Festival.

Messaging from these campaigns are being heavily promoted across various organisations on Facebook and other media like TV,, and can provide really useful tips and reminders.

The key message for Motorcycle Awareness Month is directed to other road users, to be vigilant when on the roads and to watch for motorcycle (and scooters) and drive accordingly – to be respectfully aware of riders on the roads.

Of course, the secondary message is to riders to ensure that they are riding to their ability, wearing appropriate protective clothing and always being mindful of what other road users are doing – despite the message of Motorcycle Awareness Month, riders must constantly be actively aware of their surroundings and traffic.

The Road Safety Committee recently asked you for feedback on your recent (within the past 10 years) experiences. The response surprised us - it was obvious that members generally didn't see significant problems with current training and a couple augmented self-directed learning through social media and YouTube.

You did tell us that low speed manoeuvring skills are crucial but difficult for many riders, especially those with heavier or longer bikes. You support on going training but don’t necessarily attend any, often due to lack of availability.

Other issues mentioned included challenges with counter-steering, engine braking, hazard perception, roadcraft, wet-weather riding, low-traction surfaces, lane filtering, road positioning, and safe overtaking. But not all at once!

Overall though, for the future of rider training in Australia we believe and promote the importance of post-licence training and professional development for instructors, addressing state-by-state inconsistencies in training standards, and the need for professional development.

Thanks to all those members who responded – the minutes of the meeting held to discuss the outcomes of the survey are on the website. Rather than include each response, we used AI to provide us with a summary and that is included in the minutes.

You have also provided us with more topics to take to authorities and rider trainers within our own jurisdictions.

As always, we value your feedback.

We received a survey from Crossley Transport Planning. Several of the Road Safety Committee have completed it. If you’d also like to provide feedback, the survey is here.

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/110R0rHePX

What the survey explores

• what helps riders and other road users stay safe, and what gets in the way
• how riders and drivers see each other on the road
• why people choose to ride, stop riding or never consider it, including cost, enjoyment, confidence and licensing
• whether e-bikes and e-scooters are becoming a pathway into motorcycling for young people

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