Five-time world motorcycle champion Mick Doohan features in a new video aimed at reducing motorcycle crashes on our roads. The video was instigated by the RACQ in the wake of crash fi gures showing riders are four times more likely to be involved in deadly crashes than cars. It also follows a recent spate of motorcycle crashes where the RACQ CareFlight Rescue chopper a ended an average of more than one injured rider every three days. The video is part of a campaign to reduce the road toll of Queensland motorcyclists by making all motorists more aware of riders and drawing rider attention to their vulnerability with more than half of all motorbike crashes resulting in hospitalisation or death.
“The Ural Mir even features a solar panel to bolster the battery to run auxiliary items such as phones, GPS and music players” RACQ Executive Manager Technical and Safety Policy Steve Spalding says motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable road users. “Motorcycles aren’t as visible on the roads as cars and trucks, and riding a motorbike doesn’t offer the same level of protection as being inside a car does,” Mr Spalding explains. “Unlike other vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, motorcycles travel at much higher speeds, which increases the severity of a crash.”
Mr Spalding encourages all motorists to adopt a “sharing the road” approach. “Always check your blind spot and mirrors, give motorcyclists plenty of room and take the time to look, particularly at intersections,” he says. “You don’t get another chance when you come off a motorbike, regardless of who is right or wrong — the motorcyclist is going to come off second best.” In 2014, more than 30 riders were killed on Queensland roads.