Media Release

3 March 2010

Motor Industry supports Government’s motorcycling road safety strategy

Today’s release of the 2020 Safer Journeys Road Safety Strategy by the Minister of Transport has been welcomed by the Motorcycle Group of the Motor Industry Association (MIA) which represents importers and distributors all the major motorcycle and scooter brands.

“We have been working closely with government and other motorcycle organisation on the development of this strategy and our key message of making motorcycling safety a top priority and the need for significant improvement in the training, education and licensing system has been heard” said Clive Hellyar, Manager of the Motorcycling Group within the MIA.

“The Government is looking at the State of Victoria as a model for New Zealand and we agree that the results achieved by that administration in reducing road trauma associated with motorcycle accidents provide good ideas for New Zealand” He went on to say that the four specific actions identified including two in the “first actions” in the Safer Journey document, namely
• Improving rider training and licensing, including for mopeds,
• Shifting to a power to weight ratio to define which motorcycles were suitable for learner riders,
• Implementing targeted treatments on popular motorcycle road routes, and
• Improving the safety of returning riders
were the most important first steps towards reducing deaths and serious injuries arising from motorcycle accidents. “Additional actions need to be taken in other areas such as addressing the issue of driver awareness in relation to motorcyclists, particularly at road intersections. We acknowledge that these four action items will involve significant changes in the current regulatory and market environment and it is important to get the operational aspects of these initiatives in place and working effectively to achieve the most significant gains in motorcycle safety improvement.” said Mr Hellyar.

Mr. Hellyar concluded by saying that the MIA looked forward to working closely with the government and other motorcycle and road safety organisations in developing the systems and resource requirements which would be needed to achieve the overall objective of reducing the road fatality rate for motorcyclists in New Zealand.

ENDS

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