Police target riders over crash deaths

Queensland Police will target motorcycle speeds after a spike in rider and pillion deaths in the first five months of the year, despite the reduction in traffic during the pandemic lockdown.

They have vowed to increase their presence and revert to their mobile speed camera program which had been temporarily suspended during the lockdown.

Inspector Peter Flanders says: “The bottom line is if you are on a motorcycle, you are that vehicle’s airbag. If you get hit or if you hit something it is you who takes the force.”

A total of 91 lives have been lost on Queensland roads in the first five months of 2020, up from 84 at the same time last year with 23 rider and pillion fatalities.

“Motorcyclists were highly represented in the figures, with one in four of all fatalities either motorcycle riders or passengers,” Police media says.

Stats by state

It sounds like a lot, but it’s not unusual. The proportion of rider lives lost compared with total fatalities is much the same as previous years and is only three above the five-year average.

Meanwhile, the national trend shows rider deaths decreasing.

To the end of April, there were 186 deaths on motorcycles, which is actually the lowest it’s been over the past 10 years.

Victoria has had 12 rider/pillion deaths to the end of May compared with 27 last year, down a whopping 56%, probably due to the lockdown.

Likewise, NSW has had 18 deaths so far compared with 24 last year and the 24 five-year average.

South Australia is also down from 11 last year to nine, although the five-year average is five.

Speed target

In Queensland, police will target speeding as a response to the statistically anomalous spike in motorcycle road deaths.

Road Policing Command Superintendent David Johnson says motorcyclists are more vulnerable to injury than drivers and passengers in any other motor vehicle on our roads.

“Excess speed and loss of control are contributing factors in many traffic crashes involving motorcycles, so we really need riders to take responsibility and ride at speeds relative to the conditions and the posted speed limit,” he says.

However, we note several crashes so far this year involving unlicensed riders, stolen bikes, riders fleeing police, and riders hit by cars at intersections and on the wrong side fo the road.