Motorcyclist safety
Sonja TERPSTRA (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (09:48): I rise to update the house on a recent inaugural event that I attended in my role as chair of the Motorcycling Community Engagement Panel recently at Skyline, Federation Square, on Sunday, because this month is Motorcyclist Awareness Month. Motorcyclists are a growing cohort of road users. They are growing in population, but of course they are vulnerable road users. Being on two wheels you do not get many second chances when you are on the roads. I think one of the most important points that was made over the weekend – and I will talk about the many initiatives the Victorian government is doing to keep motorcycle riders safe in a moment – and one of the most important things to remember is that what you may not know is under the helmet is someone’s mother, someone’s brother, somebody’s sister, somebody’s partner. Interestingly, women represent 15 per cent of all motorcycle riders now. In Motorcyclist Awareness Month make sure you keep an eye out and keep our motorcyclists safe on the road.
Now, some of the safety improvements the government has done since the inception of this committee include the MotoCAP, the world’s first protective gear rating program; a graduated licensing system; motorcycle safety campaigns; safety infrastructure programs; the introduction of the Australian design rules for mandating anti-lock braking systems; the motorcycle crash card; and much, much more.
I am really pleased to be able to chair this community engagement panel. They are a great bunch of people from a diverse range of backgrounds, and I am looking forward to working with them and also seeing more women being involved in that panel, because as I said, more women are getting on the road and being motorcyclists. It is Motorcyclist Awareness Month. Please look out for motorcyclists this month.