Road Safety

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:03): My question is to the Minister for Road Safety. What is the government doing to improve the safety of motorcycle riders who commence riding after an extended period away from riding?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:03): I thank the honourable member for his important question regarding road safety, a subject that remains very important to this government. Motorcycle rider safety is an important aspect of this government's road safety strategy. We are all very aware that motorcycle riders are vulnerable road users, and riders are over represented in road trauma statistics.

On average, over the five-year period from 2011 to 2015, 14 motorcyclists were killed and 140 seriously injured on South Australian roads. While road user trauma has generally decreased, motorcyclist road trauma is decreasing at a slower rate. While total fatal and serious injuries in South Australia over the past five years have, on average, trended down by 4.1 per cent per year, fatal and serious injuries amongst motorcyclists have, on average, only tended down by 1.5 per cent per annum. In the past five years motorcycles comprised around 4 per cent of registered vehicles, whilst motorcyclists represented 17 per cent of serious injuries and 14 per cent of fatalities on our roads.

Analysis of South Australian motorcyclist serious casualty data was undertaken to determine how many riders involved in casualty crashes were likely to be returning riders, meaning riders who rode a motorcycle in the past, and after an extended period of not riding decided to take up riding again. The analysis indicated that for the period of 2007 to 2012 around one fatality, 13 serious injuries and 28 minor injuries, on average per year, may have been a returning rider. It is possible that some of these casualty crashes could have been avoided if the riders involved had undertaken a riding skills refresher course.

Encouraging returning riders to undertake a motorcycle skills refresher training course is a key action in South Australia's Road Safety Action Plan 2013-16. The Rider Safe Returning Rider Course was developed in 2015 and is designed for motorcycle licence holders who have not ridden a motorcycle for some time. This cohort may face increased crash risks as a result of not maintaining safe riding skills, particularly if they are riding a more powerful or different style of motorcycle than the one they used to ride in the past.

The returning rider course is a voluntary motorcycle skills refresher course that allows participants to practise riding skills and techniques that are essential for riding on the road. An analysis of registration and licensing data was undertaken to identify possible returning riders. Letters were sent to these people advising them of the road safety risks, and inviting them to undertake the voluntary Rider Safe Returning Rider Course.

The returning rider course is delivered by the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, which also conducts mandatory motorcycle riding courses required to obtain a licence to ride a motorcycle on the road. The returning rider course runs for 3½ hours and includes a range of motorcycle handling skills required to ride safely on the road network. It consists of classroom briefing sessions and discussions followed by a practical range of riding practice sessions, which allows the instructor to make the assessments and provide feedback.

The course was developed in consultation with the Motorcycle Reference Group, which comprises key road safety stakeholders and motorcycle industry representatives. The course is being promoted through a brochure sent to motorcycle licence holders identified as potential returning riders and South Australian motorcycle associations through the state government's My Licence website and via social media. In May 2016, the returning rider course was expanded to cater for moped riders and letters were sent to registered moped owners encouraging them to undertake this training.

DPTI is continuing to work with the Motor Accident Commission, road safety stakeholders, and motorcycle industry representatives to promote the course to returning riders and moped riders. I have to say that having had the pleasure of meeting the Motorcycle Riders Association—a very considered and passionate group who pragmatically go about the business of advocating the interests of motorcycle riders—I would like to thank them for their feedback into this process, and we always encourage motorcycle riders to remain safe and undertake all the appropriate actions they can to reduce the likelihood of injury or death should they suffer a fall. Taking this course could be an appropriate course of action for plenty of people who have not ridden a motorcycle in some time.