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Mark Hinchliffe·
NewsMotorbike news
··14 Comments·2 min read

Why we publish motorcycle crash reports

Crash accident wreck police road safety

We cop criticism from some riders for our motorcycle crash reports — usually after a spate of accidents — but we have to advise readers we won’t be changing our policy.

Rather than going through our reasons, we thought we would cut to the chase and quote the words of Perth rider Sandy Lewis who posted this comment on Facebook after a recent crash report:

“I took my girl for a great run alone today. Thanks to your posts about the sad & regular deaths of riders, I did take more care. I can be a bit radical sometimes.”

Thanks Sandy. You summed up the main reason we publish crash articles; to remind riders that this is a dangerous pastime.

We need to be 100% alert every time we ride because the consequences can be unforgiving.

My blood runs cold every time I see a police report on another crash. It certainly helps me to focus on riding safely.

In the latest report, Queensland Police are seeking witnesses to a fatal crash on Thursday (19 March 2020) at 7.50am in Bundaberg.

The motorcycle hit a stationary car in heavy traffic on Barolin St near the Beatrice St intersection. The 54-year-old local man died at the scene.

Crash reportsconcerns for single-vehicle crash reports negligent

Our crash articles are often accompanied by an analysis of the event or tips about how to avoid crashes in that particular situation.

However, detailed information is not always available from the police and it is difficult to cover crash events from afar.

So sometimes the crash report can be fairly scant on details.

But it is still important to be aware of them.

We also believe it galvanises the riding community to look out for each other.

Readers often comment with a simple “RIP” or short prayer for the fallen.

We may cop some flak from some, but we take safety very seriously and will not be shying away from reporting the stark reality!

We would rather not have to report crashes, but that’s turning a blind eye to a very real problem.

It should be noted that safety is a key issue among riders according to a poll we conducted several years ago.

Consequently, we often publish riding tips and articles about road safety, policing, safe infrastructure, crash statistics, road rules, etc.

See also

News websiteCrash injured accident

Another criticism is that we are a motorcycle website not a news site.

We’re sorry if you got that impression.

At the top of our page it clearly says: “Daily motorbike news, views & reviews.”

So we publish crash reports as well as try to follow-up on any charges and court action that follow.

We’re not a sycophant motorcycle website that reviews gear and bikes in glowing terms to appease advertisers.

In fact, we don’t receive any advertising support from any motorcycle companies so we are not beholden to them.

We also do very few bike reviews because some companies won’t supply bikes for test because:

  1. We’re in Brisbane and it is too expensive for them to send them up here; and
  2. Some companies don’t like our honest approach to reviews!

Stay safe and thanks for your support.

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Mark Hinchliffe
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14 Comments

  1. I, for one, like to hear about moto crashes in my area so I can take more care/be more alert when I might ride that stretch or road in the future. Complacency often needs a rude awakening; I don’t mind what you are doing.

  2. Great website, I’ve been reading news in here for a while now, keep doing what you’re doing it’s great stuff .

  3. I couldn’t agree more Mark, we all need to have motorcycle accidents brought to our attention, we’re not invincible. It is your intention to motivate us toward constant improvement in riding while enjoying our bikes, I thank you.

  4. I’m here in the US, but I read your posts as part of my RSS feeds. Like Sandy, I definitely view them as cautionary tales and daily wake-up calls to be more careful today.

    Been wanting to comment, for a while, that I also really appreciate that you do pretty good followup on stories you’ve posted before. Like about the guy in the rental car who tried to leave town. I think you had at least four posts on that! So much news that might be interesting, we never find out what happened. Thanks for sticking with the stories.

    Don’t change your policy. Do what you want. If folks don’t like your content, there’s plenty of other things on the internet they can focus their time on.

  5. Mark I always find your comments informative and current. Unfortunately riding motorcycles can be a dangerous lifestyle choice but then so is any other extreme sport or activity.
    As you know I was in the motorcycle industry for over 25years and have lost friends and loved one over that time from riding accidents. Your right that the general public in regards to the this is “RIP” and that is as far as it goes. Don’t get me wrong I love riding and most of my friends also ride, but its that complacency amongst riders that “it wont happen to me ” which has opened my eyes to changing careers and helping fellows riders understand the importance of Personal Insurance. This approach and service has never been available to riders before. Riders need to check that they are financially covered in the event something does happen they dont leave their loved ones in a financial mess. Enough Said on that.
    Keep up the great work and look forward to your next installment

  6. It’s a sound policy. I personally don’t read the crash reports, too depressing. However they are important if said accidents reveal problems like the mt glorious melting road debacle, motorbikewriter was right on this from day one.

  7. Thanx Mark for publishing moto crashes, it makes us all the more aware and not become complacent.
    I particularly take note and learn from the cause of the crash as driver attitude and car design seem to make motorcyclists more invisible than in the past, and also our own attitude to safety
    It no way detracts from the pleasure of motorcycling, quiet the opposite.

  8. I’ve found over the years with aviation accident, the obvious is not always the true and accurate record of what happened. The coroners report is the only true record of what happened. Was the rider in the right frame of mind before heading out for a ride eg . an argument with someone either face to face or text, did he have his race face on, (we are all guilty of this one) was the other driver at fault, road conditions, distraction animal about to cross your path (they tend not to hang around and give statements (like a lot of car drivers) blinded by the sun.
    I new of a pilot who died in an accident information that didn’t come out at the inquest was marriage problems, and high blood pressure. (this doesn’t show up once your dead. The people who new him and were present before the accident believed G force and high blood pressure caused a black out.

  9. I’m surprised that there aren’t more head-on motorcycle crashes on popular “motorcycle” roads. So many riders, in particular a large proportion of sports-bike riders, have no idea how to position themselves for clockwise (right-hand) bends. The correct position entering such a bend is as far left as practicable, to give better visibility through the bend and leave room to keep on the correct side of the road while leaning. So many riders hug the centre-line with their tyres, causing their bodies and their bikes to be on the wrong side of the centre-line. Many car drivers have enough trouble staying on their own side of the road as it is; riders taking bends in such a dangerous fashion are asking for trouble.

  11. It’s important that bike crashes are reported and widely publicised. This enables us to see what went wrong, and the public spotlight gives an impetus to improve the systems that gave rise to the misadventure. As a result of a crash being reported, a dangerous driver could be prosecuted, or dangerous road markings or signage could be remedied. In the absence of reporting, the public is none the wiser, families and insurance companies pick up the grief and the bill, respectively, and life goes on as if nothing ever happened. This is not the outcome we should shoot for, after a negative calamitous event. The aim is to come out stronger as a result, not simply endure it. Ultimately, most riding fatalities are sacrifices which can, potentially, make the whole system better. Not reporting on these things means lives are wasted for nothing.

  12. I too like to be informed of both car and bike accidents, however you rarely hear of the cause of the accident its just another car or bike accident.
    It seems that bikes come off second best in the news reports though, if they can give a us stat, then give us the cause of the accident, whether it be a black spot, phone, drugs, hooning or booze, not just another “bike accident”.
    You need all of the issues to fix the problem

  13. Being a newish rider who is looking for other ways to justify what is often deemed a higher risk activity, I am always keen to understand what happened in a crash so that I can learn from it. I understand the whys and hows aren’t always available to report on, but when they are, I always ask myself, if the injured rider was already doing the right thing, what more could I have done different to avoid such an incident?

    I just hope my wife doesn’t read these articles!

  14. “However, detailed information is not always available from the police and it is difficult to cover crash events from afar.” How dare the police not be at the beck and call of the media. The cheek of them.

    But seriously – detailed information is always available from the coronial inquest findings which are public documents.

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