Motorcyclists bleed taxpayer

[Dave Ross]

#2096

I found this article in today's paper, what do you guys think of the headline? I have written to the Herald to complain.Motorcyclists bleed taxpayer5:00AM Tuesday June 12, 2007By Elizabeth Binning Police will today ride through five of Auckland's most dangerous streets in a bid to raise awareness about motorcycle safety after a large increase in serious accidents.Since 2001 the number of people claiming for motorcycle accidents around the country has nearly doubled to the point where the crashes are now costing ACC more than $52 million a year.That cost does not include treatment injured motorcyclists receive in public hospitals.In the Auckland region the number of claims has risen from 108 in 2001 to 213 last year and the figure looks likely to be even higher this year because there have already been 53 claims since April.To reduce the number of accidents the police and ACC are today launching a campaign urging drivers to take more time in looking for motorcyclists and for riders to make themselves more visible.Auckland City police roading manager Inspector Heather Wells said most of the district's motorcycle accidents occurred on five major roads in the city - Great North Rd, Great South Rd, Karangahape Rd, Newton Rd and Ponsonby Rd.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe 43 accidents that have occurred on those five roads between 2001 and 2005 have cost nearly $1 million.As part of the educational campaign, Auckland motorcycle police officers will lead a group of motorcyclists through those roads, highlighting where previous accidents have occurred. The tour will take place after a Motorcycle Crash Investigator training session this morning at the ASB Showgrounds, where motorcycles will be dropped from a crane to simulate varying speeds of impact.Ms Wells said 41 per cent of injury motorcycle crashes occurred in situations where drivers did not see the motorcycle.In 75 per cent of the accidents the motorcyclists were not at fault.The campaign, which will include advertising on buses and in bus stops, will target motorists via the radio.

[Anonymous]

#7993

Alex,I managed the first Ulysses/ACC intersection campaign in Auckland (Adrian Thomas did West Auckland): we had a lot of help from a lot of people, incl Finn Nielsen and No L Walker, then both members of the Register.I took from that experience, and some careful scrutiny of ACC and LTNZ stats the truth that we do cost the tax payer HEAPS.Now, there are a number of (I think) important things to take into account about the cost of motorcycle bingles:

• The "folk awareness" of bikes has vanished from the days when a bike was a utility vehicle for cash-strapped Kiwis: if you didn't ride, you had lots of cobbers who did, and thus you LOOKED for bikes.
• If you had a bike accident, you had a high chance of popping ya clogs: funerals are a (relatively) cheap one-off cost. Nowadays they keep crunched motorcyclists alive after horrendous injuries, at a continuing cost to the community.
• In 75% of multi-vehicle accidents involving motorcycles the cage is to blame, BUT THERE ARE STILL MORE ACCIDENTS INVOLVING BIKES HAVING ACCIDENTS WITHOUT ANY OTHER ASSISTANCE, ONLY TROUBLE IS THE NUT THAT HOLDS THE HANDLEBARS.

So, fair dos to the taxpayer and ACC, we are bloody expensive: 10% or less of the vehicle fleet, and 60% of the ACC payout.

[Dave Ross]

#7994

Pssssssssssssssssssssst! 🙄I suppose we better go and ride push bikes then, or walk.  It's human nature to try and rationalize the risk. I've had some metal installed courtesy of ACC, but I am going to keep on riding. Still, it wouldn't hurt to improve rider's and driver's awareness. I see two wheels as part oft he traffic solution, if you factor in the waste of money form clogged roads, pollution etc. the cost for the odd titanium re-enforcement doesn't seem so bad. Alex

[Richard Kuysten]

#7995

It's like any other newspaper headline – designed to catch the eye without much thought of the possibility of the damage/hurt it may cause.  That's the business of selling the “news” i'm afraid Alex.However the subject of the article seems to be supporting motorcyclists by attempting to raise the awareness of car drivers that there are other users on the road that don't have the relative safety of a motorcar.  I watched an idiot do a right turn in front of a cyclist tonight seemingly totally unaware that the cyclist was there.  A micro second and the cyclist would have been smashed.  It's possible that the driver did see the cyclist and just didn't give a stuff but I suspect he/she didn't even see the bike.  Scary eh.Malcolm

[Anonymous]

#7996

C'mon folk, hit me with the obvious. The Avatar rides the mighty Honda with no protective gear – even sandals. My dark family secret is I'm kinky about hurt.Beat me, Mistress! *** OOps*** sorry Bwucie, I just stuffed up your post, because I clicked on the wrong button, I had no intention of messing with it, only wanted to quote you.Alex

[Dave Ross]

#7997

It was the headline I had issues with. The rest of the article was fine. A lot of people only read the headline, and in this case I thought it was unfair. You could write that about any other group involved in a more dangerous activity. As a matter of fact I wonder how push bike riders fare in Auckland traffic. I suspect also that a quite a number of the victims were scooter riders. I have personally seen three down in the last year or so. Nothing against scooters, but recent fuel price increase have increased the number of inexperienced riders quite dramatically. Instead of making them the scape goat, I think the council should see them as part of the traffic solution around Auckland. Of course awareness campaigns will help, but a bit more policing of city traffic wouldn't go amiss either.Alex

[Anonymous]

#7998

I LIKE the edit: cuts straight to the heart of the matter.Only thing better than a good thrashing is being knocked off ya pushbike by (another) bloody Mitsubishi.

[Dave Ross]

#7999

I am glad you're not upset, last thing I want to do is mess with people's posts. It must have been that glass of wine that made me do it.Has that little bike in your avatar grown up yet?

[janejohnstewart]

#8000

Ooohhh I wish I hadn’t started reading this tread.  It’s one of my increasing number of soap box whinges (feel free to add any whinging pom comments).Yes, us lunatic motorcyclists ARE expensive to ACC, and we are penalised for it by over inflated Rego costs.As Bwucie points out in the vast majority of accidents involving motorcyclists, the poor sod on the bike wasn’t at fault and comes off worst.So what should be done about it?  Driver education has to be the ultimate goal, but in reality nothing’s going to change there unfortunately.For my $0.02 compulsory third party insurance would be an easy first step in the right direction, with the ACC levy being taken from the insurers.The insurance companies would make sure that the ACC levy was divided in proportion to the likelihood of you causing the accident, not suffering from one.It might also do something to kerb the “spotty little oiks” in high powered vehicles that are the subject of articles in the press so often.Sorry folks … rant over … for now. 

[Dave Ross]

#8001

Bwucie does have a point, a lot of us don't need any help to injure ourselves. I am one of them. I think tony s is another. But so what, I still ride.

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