Motorcycle Riders Association of SA

Archived Articles for 2021

Welcome to the site of the Motorcycle Riders' Association of South Australia.
This page is an archive of selected articles from our home page during 2021.

Great Escape Rally - 21-23 May 2021

The MRA would like to extend a warm invitation to all riders to join us this year at the Great Escape Rally. It will be held from the 21-23 May 2021 near Marrabel South Australia. The turn-off is around 19km north of Kapunda (4.6km south of Marrabel). This is a back to basics rally. Toilets, firewood and water will be supplied. BYO everything else. The annual rally has been held since 1994, we look forward to seeing you there.

GERMap

National Road Safety Week - 16-23 May 2021

Every year, approximately 1200 people are killed and approximately 44,000 are seriously injured on Australian roads. Traffic injury is the biggest killer of Australian children under 15 and the second-biggest killer of all Australians aged between 15 and 24. These numbers are growing every year but are preventable if we choose to Drive So Others Survive.

National Road Safety Week is an annual initiative from the Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group, partnering road safety organisations and Government. The week highlights the impact of road trauma and ways to reduce it. Visit the website by clicking on the image below, and take the pledge.

Road Surface Treatment - 21 April 2021

The MRASA would like to advise riders and the general public that a small section of Magill Road between Vine Street and Norton Summit Road is going to trial a new road surface treatment. Please take care on this section of road. As at the beginning of May, there is no signage on approach to the trial location. 10 days after the application there is discolouration on the wheel tracks, however the surface is intact. On close inspection the surface is rough to the touch, with the imprint depressions collecting particles. Vehicles passing over the surface generate a sound similar to driving on pavers.

MagillBitumen

[Photo1] [Photo2] [Photo3] If you have any feedback we would appreciate you sending us an email. Please use our Send Email page and send an email to our Road Safety Officer.

Call for Flag Marshalling Volunteers - 25 April 2021

The MRASA has been asked to support the Motocross Riders' Association with their State Titles Competitions to be held on the Anzac Day weekend Sunday 25th of April between 8am and 4pm.

This will involve flag marshalling during the races. That is, standing on the corners or the jumps on the track and flagging down oncoming riders if there is a spill. It's a great way to watch the races and those of us who have been involved agree that it's a fun way to spend a day.

The Motocross Riders' Association has agreed to hand over the gate takings to the MRASA for its help and this will be shared equally amongst the volunteers. It can go to your club, your favourite charity or to yourself. Your choice. Last year it was $122 per person.

Training will be provided on the day and an Anzac Day service and the Last Post will be held before the races commence.

If you or a group of your mates are interested in taking part ring Harald on 0421 289 714 or send him an Email to book in. He will send you more details by email. As this has been a last minute request we will need a commitment ASAP.

Ridden-On Ride - 11 April 2021

This years Ridden-On Ride will be held on Sunday 11th April starting from the Victoria Hotel, O'Halloran Hill. Meet from 8.30am for a 10.00am departure for the usual run to Second Valley, and optionally to Victor Harbour for lunch. Further details on the Ridden-On page.

Security Practices Survey - 15 March 2021

The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTRC) and the Motorcycle Council of NSW invite you to complete this short survey to assist us in understanding the security practices and theft perceptions of motorcycle and scooter riders in Australia. Responses will be used to assist in developing strategies and countermeasures to prevent motorcycle theft and assist riders in mitigating their risk. No identifying data is collected and all responses will be kept confidential.

It would be appreciated if you could please complete the survey by 25th March 2021.

Ross Noble on Motochat - 17 March 2021

Legendary comedian Ross Noble will be live on Motochat on Wednesday 17th March. Ross is a keen motorcyclist with a substantial collection including adventure bikes. The team at Motochat is looking forward to having him live via conference call before he goes on stage at the Fringe. The radio program goes live to air on Adelaide's Coast FM 88.7 at 7pm. To live stream go to the Coast FM website and click on the live stream link at the bottom right.

Update - download or listen to the audio of this episode ©.

Motorcycle Minimum Age Lifted - 3 March 2021

Today the SA Government announced the minimum age to get a motorcycle licence has lifted to 18. Exceptions are provided for regional SA residents, or holders of an existing car licence. Below is a statement from Ebi Lux, Road Safety Officer.

The Motorcycle Riders' Association of SA is pleased that after 3 years, the legislation for the motorcycle Graduated Licencing Scheme (GLS) has passed both houses of Parliament. However, we are disappointed our law makers saw fit to discriminate against motorcyclists and raise the minimum age to obtain a learners permit to 18 years of age compared to that for a car learners permit of 16 years. Motorcycle groups had lobbied consistently and loudly to retain parity between cars and motorcycles.

Whilst the GLS is a step forward in attempting to reduce the number of lives lost, we now need to focus on the next part of the process and improve our rider training. For too long we have accepted a process which delivers motorcycle theory and practice in a closed secure environment in an 8 hour time frame. We then expect these inexperienced riders to develop skills on the open road without supervision. Now is the time to review the training process, a promise which was made 2 years ago. We cannot afford to accept unnecessary delays in view of the mounting road toll.

MRASA Protest Run 1979

Jon Burke has kindly provided us with some footage of a protest run in 1979. Thank you Jon for making this available. Very interesting viewing indeed, a gentle reminder on just how things have changed. The link will take you to the Vimeo website, where you can click play to see the video.

Proposed changes to the GLS - 12 November 2020

2017 saw a spike in motorcyclist deaths on South Australian Roads. The Labor Government sought to revise the existing graduated licencing scheme (GLS) as a mechanism to reduce the numbers. Motorcycling advocacy groups were consulted, and a resolution was devised to adopt many recommendations in a CASR report that had already been tabled. No action was taken for all of 2018, which could be attributed to a change in Government. Minister Wingard met with the MRA in early 2019 to discuss the plans on the GLS changes. Draft legislation changes were well underway at that time.

Due to a lack of action, the MRA met with the shadow minister and a private member's bill was tabled in Parliament mid-2019. This also failed to cause minister Wingard to introduce the new legislation to Parliament. Following the death of a 19-year-old rider in November 2019 the Government again announced proposed legislation changes, but to no avail.

Moving forward another 12 months and on 12 November 2020 Road Safety Minister Vincent Tarzia announced he would be introducing a bill of proposed new laws. This comes 3 years after the 2017 statistics were spiralling out of control. We will wait to see how the bill progresses, and if these new measures will have any impact on fatalities and serious injuries. Here is a summary of the proposed changes to the GLS.

RAISING the minimum age for a learner's permit from 16 to 18 (16 if living in regional SA and travelling for education, work or sport, and 17 if holding a provisional car licence).
BANNING passengers, vehicle towing and riding between midnight and 5am unless exempt, regardless of holding any other licence, while on a learner's permit.
INCREASING the minimum age for an R-date licence - the equivalent of a provisional licence - from 17 to 19 while ensuring a learner's permit is held for at least 12 months.
PROHIBITING alcohol, irrespective of holding any other licence, while on an R-date licence.
RESTRICTING riders who tested on automatic transmission motorcycles to those bikes only.

Restrictions on age, towing, transmission type, alcohol and time of day have been introduced or tightened. Of particular note is the lifting of the minimum age to 18, which falls in line with Victorian legislation, and makes SA equal highest in minimum age to have a motorcycle licence. The MRA does NOT support this change. Raising the minimum age has been introduced in other jurisdictions and has not been shown to reduce the number of motorcyclist fatalities. A 2019 survey on increasing the minimum age in SA revealed only 36% support from both the public and the riding community.

The MRA would like to see the rider training system overhauled, with a view to creating a new generation of riders who are less prone to risk taking and have better knowledge of riding principles and skills. We would like the Government to support MotoCAP and actively promote riders to make better choices with regards to protective clothing.

The MRA has been actively involved in road safety in South Australia. Our involvement and submissions to the Road Safety Strategy to 2031 and Infrastructure SA (2019) clearly define mechanisms and strategies that will assist in road safety and hopefully reduce fatalities and serious injuries in our state.

Here is the related article written by Road Safety Officer Ebi Lux in response to Minister Tarzia's proposal. This will be published in the December Centrestand magazine.

MRASA Road Safety Strategy Workshop

In support of the current request to restrict public gatherings, the MRASA Road Safety Strategy Workshop has been postponed. It has been rescheduled for 1pm to 4pm on Sunday 12th September 2021 subject to restrictions being lifted by then.

We hope you will be able to attend on the revised date. Your attendance and input to the workshop would be greatly appreciated. We look forward to seeing you on the day.

RSVP by Thursday 9th September 2021 to secretary@mrasa.asn.au or phone Cathy on 0408 853 380.

Riding Safe on the Road - SA Motor Winter 2021

MRASA road safety advocate Harald Lindemann was interviewed by RAA Magazine with respect to riding safe on the road. View the magazine online or click on these links to view the article screenshots.

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MRASA Toy Run - 12 December 2021

The Toy Run in 2021 will be held on Sunday December 12 - as usual on the second Sunday in December.

Due to the continuing uncertainty regarding major events because of Covid-19 the Toy Run Committee has decided that as in 2020 it will plan for a Toy Run that includes the Ride to the fair at Callington Oval but will keep open other options for the Toy Run open including the 'Drop & Go' style Toy Run that was so successful last year.

The MRASA acknowledges that riders were disappointed in 2020 that the Toy Run couldn't go ahead as originally planned and understands the high regard in which the event is held by riders, especially the opportunity to ride together en masse. Be assured we will do our best to to make this happen in 2021. If this doesn't pan out it's because we consider the health of our community paramount and want to do out bit to keep everyone healthy. And remember why we do it in the first place. The Toy Run - 'IT'S FOR THE KIDS'. It will still be a time of giving for for all of us, even if we can't ride together.

We will continue to post updates as new information comes to hand, both here and on the Toy Run Facebook page.

Harald Lindemann - 2021 Toy Run Coordinator

SA Motorcycle Rider Training Proposal

The Department for Infrastructure and Transport for SA provided the MRASA executive with a discussion paper on the 25 November 2021. The paper invited comment to assist in identifying the model for improved training for South Australia's novice motorcycle riders. A presentation was also given on the 26th November to a working group invited at the discretion of the Minister. Three members of the MRASA executive attended this presentation.

The executive will be preparing a further submission especially on the points where the MRASA differ from the proposal. The executive would like to thank our members and guests for giving us a sound position from which to work. Members and guests comments from the September MRASA Road Safety Seminar have been included in the paper.

Motorcycle Helmet Rating Survey

The Consumer Rating and Assessment of Safety Helmets (CRASH) is currently reviewing how the comfort rating is calculated and wishes to know what emphasis you would place on the 7 factors that make up the comfort score.

CRASH is run by a consortium of government agencies, insurance companies and the Australian Motorcycle Council which share a common interest in improving motorcycle safety. CRASH provides helmet buyers with independent and consistent information on the levels of protection from injury in a crash provided by motorcycle helmets and the comfort level of the helmet.

The 7 factors that make up the comfort score are:
  1. Visor's ability to resist fogging up
  2. Ability to seal out moisture
  3. Noise inside helmet
  4. Ventilation inside helmet
  5. Aerodynamic neck loading (a wind tunnel test)
  6. Helmet weight
  7. Peripheral view

For more information on the rating system go to https://crash.org.au/rating-system.html

To participate in the survey (closing 13th Dec 2021), please visit https://forms.gle/bUmwMvzxGTLjKMiW7

Changes to the SA Motorcycle Graduated Licensing Scheme

Changes to South Australia's Motorcycle Graduated Licensing Scheme will come into effect on 22 November 2021. The enhancements to the Motorcycle Graduated Licensing Scheme aim to improve the safety of novice motorcyclists and other road users by ensuring riders have more experience before they can ride a motorbike under full licence conditions. The changes for motorcycle learner's permit holders include:

The minimum age for a learner's permit will be 18 years of age (exemptions exist).
You will be required to hold a motorcycle learner's permit for a minimum period of 12 months, regardless of your age or if you hold a full driver's licence for another class, before you will be eligible to apply for an R-DATE licence classification.
No pillion passengers or a passenger in a sidecar. This includes a person acting as a Qualified Supervising Driver.
No towing of any vehicle (i.e. a trailer).
If you are under the age of 25 years, no riding between the hours of midnight and 5am regardless of whether you hold a driver's licence for another class unless you meet the exemption criteria.
Restricted to an automatic motorcycle if you complete the Basic or Advanced Rider Safe Course or Practical Driving Assessment on a motorcycle with an automatic transmission.

The changes for R-DATE licence classification holders include:

Minimum age 19 years.
Must have zero Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) when you ride regardless of whether you hold a full driver's licence or provisional licence.
Must hold an R-DATE licence classification for a period 2 years before you will be permitted to ride motorcycles other than those on the Learner Approved Motorcycle Scheme.

For a full list of details visit the My License website

MRASA Achievements and Projects

The MRASA achievements and projects listing is in a prelimary state of delivery. We look forward to your feedback on the contents of this page.

ICE - your emergency contacts in your phone

In Case of Emergency (ICE) is a program that enables first responders such as paramedics, firefighters, and police officers, as well as hospital personnel to contact the next of kin of the owner of a working mobile phone to obtain important medical or support information. The phone entry or entries are intended to supplement or complement written information in a wallet or on a marked bracelet or necklace.

To learn more about the ICE and other methods of access to emergency contacts please view our In Case of Emergency page.

Accident Scene

If a motorcyclist is involved in a crash, in most cases it is best to leave their helmet on as it provides support to the head and neck. Only remove the helmet if the casualty is unconscious, is vomiting, has severe head injuries and/or bleeding. Removing a helmet needs to be done by a trained person.

First responders will almost always think it is important to remove the helmet. To help inform first responders NOT to remove your helmet, you can affix a sticker.

The MRASA produced a run of these stickers over a decade ago, and they were all distributed. These stickers are also currently available from FAFM, and one is provided as part of attending their first aid course. The MRASA has decided this should be available to all South Australian motorcyclists, so at the 2016 Toy Run the MRASA will be handing out FREE helmet stickers. Be sure to get yours if you want one. An MRASA initiative for the safety of all motorcyclists.

Lane Filtering reminder...

Reminder - Lane Filtering has been legal in South Australia since 15 April 2017

South Australian law addressing lane filtering specifically states:

speed limited to 30kph
cannot use bicycle, bus or tram lanes
no passing between vehicles and kerb
no filtering at roundabouts
not in school zones during school hours
only for riders on a full licence

Interesting Links

We have posted a few new items on the Links page, including a link to the LAMS approved motorcycle list, and a link to the World Health Organization global road safety report 2013. Use the About menu above or access the Links page here.

Motorcycling Fact Sheet - Roadworthiness

We are providing a copy of the Motorcycling Fact Sheet as published by the DPTI for the benefit of members and the motorcycling public. Our aim is to publicise a readily available document in the interests of ensuring our members understand the minimum requirements for their bike to be roadworthy. If by following the guidelines a member finds their bike needs work, the potential saving is about $500 ($350 fine for riding an unroadworthy vehicle and at least $150 fee for the inspection to certify the defect has been fixed) and then there is the demerit points and possible time off work to attend the assessment to be considered as well.