ACT Government Finds New Way To Kill Motorcyclists

[aussiebandit]

This is some extracts from our (Wagga Wagga) local paper.  The artical it's taken from is a regular syndicated column written by Peter Theoming who is one of Australias better known motorcycle magazine journalists.

Aunty Jack (aussie tv comic) used to promise to "rip your bloody arms off" if you failed to follow his instructions.
John Hargeaves MLA, the ACT's Minister for Territory and Municipal Services; Environment and Sustainability; Housing; and Multicultural Affairs has gone one further.  He'll actually do it.

Not personally.  He has ACT Roads do it for him.....Just leave the road on your bike on Barry Drive or Mount Stromlo Road in the ACT, and it a "safety" fence.

That's where his department has installed a brand new end stop on the Armco safety barriers.  This is simply a piece of flat steel with a flange down each side bent forward, facing anyone who runs in to the barrier.  Its like a piece of channel iron set on end, a scoop that, should you hit it will most certainly rip your arm off - or worse........

........In a letter replying to a concerned member of the public, the Minister indicates that "we only use road safety barriers that meet Australian safety standards".....

And - and here's the scary bit - "the standard does not include motorcycles in the types of vehicles that safety barriers are test for".....

If you've ever thought that, as a motorcyclist, nobody loved you - here's confirmation.....

......Come to think of it - we're constantly being told that Briffen (wire rope fencing) meets the Australian standard.

Would that be the same Australian standard that doesn't involve testing for motorcycle safety?

Is that a Yes, Minister?......

[B6mick]

ACT and Vic have something in common, they both don't give a rats a##, about motorcycle safety, but here in Vic they at least pretend with the $50 motorcycle tax.

[GSFStiny]

Yikes.  What a nice way to add insult to injury (or injury to injury, whatever the case may be).  Thankfully the cheese cutters that are popping up in the states dont have little additions like this....yet.

[Red01]

Cheese slicers are just another reason to aviod the freeways in WA:

[B6mick]

Cheese slicers are just another reason to aviod the freeways in WA:

Yep those things we got them here, hundreds and hundreds of miles of the shyteful things. And not just freeways.

[banditoverde]

Those things look horrible!!!!

Can't your respective highway departments afford nice soft friendly concrete K-rail like here in the People's Republik of Kalifornia (pronounce w/ Austrian accent please). At least K-rail is bent just right to flip your body back into your original travel lane so you don't mess up oncoming traffic.

[Red01]

Personally, I would prefer K-rail (or Jersey Barriers as we call them here).

Here's my state's spin on cable barriers. If you follow links on the page, you can read about the concrete & guardrails, too. On page 5 of this report (pdf format) on the cable barriers on my stretch of I-5 commute, the state doesn't think it matters what kind of barriers a motorcyclist hits... but they don't seem to have any reliable data of motorcylists hitting cable barriers.

I'm guessing they chose cables because they thought they'd be cheaper per mile than concrete. However, on the ~15 miles of cable barrier I commute by every work day, there is almost always a stretch that is slack with accompanying broken posts from someone hitting it and/or lane closures for DOT crews to fix them. Something rarely, if ever, required by K-rail, which would have just redirected the offending cage back into their normal lane of travel.

[B6mick]

The Victorian State Government, should have some up to date numbers on the wire rope barriers. We have had a couple of motorcycle deaths directly attributed to them.
But then again, I think they wouldn't be to forthcoming, in suppling real figures, would kinda make them look like fools. Like they need any help with that

[aussiebandit]

That's where his department has installed a brand new end stop on the Armco safety barriers. This is simply a piece of flat steel with a flange down each side bent forward, facing anyone who runs in to the barrier. Its like a piece of channel iron set on end, a scoop that, should you hit it will most certainly rip your arm off - or worse........

These bstrd things are also in NSW.  I noticed them on the Snowy Mtns Hwy between Adelong and Tumut, and again between Talbingo and Kiandra.  

People of NSW we have an election coming up, lets see if we can get rid of a Government that is Taxing us to death, and killing us with "Safety Measures".

[Grand_Journeyman]

I've been raised on a motorcycle, being from Broken Hill and having a father who loves motorcycles and raced solo speeway when he was younger, I've been brought up in a world of motorcycle culture.

I find it very dissapointing that our countries Governments in todays world won't recongnise rider saftey when implenting so called "Road Saftey".

Well i'm a film maker, so i think its about time a Doco is made on this "oversight" or should we call it "willful ignorance". Does anyone have any facts on figures on the different type of barriers?? if so send them my way, i need another project and i think this could be it, i have friends in alot of the different TV networks in australia and could get the Doco to air. Anyone want to help??

We've had a family friend who on his way to phillip island in 2006 was clipped by a car and thrown into a "cheese grater" barricade. He now is missing his left leg above the knee. Something has to be done, why not now?

[Red01]

Fortunately, Washington hasn't had any motorcyclists make initial contact with a cheese slicer. On the bright side, perhaps, the one stretch on my commute has had MANY failures to capture cages crossing the median. According to the state, this is the only stretch where they're used that they aren't working, but it is enough to launch an investigation. Hopefully, they'll get rid of them.

[zaptoman]

My word. Here in MI they stick with the concrete barriers, thank God. Not that I'd prefer to crash into anything. But those wire fences?? Ugh.

[B6mick]

I've been raised on a motorcycle, being from Broken Hill and having a father who loves motorcycles and raced solo speeway when he was younger, I've been brought up in a world of motorcycle culture.

I find it very dissapointing that our countries Governments in todays world won't recongnise rider saftey when implenting so called "Road Saftey".

Well i'm a film maker, so i think its about time a Doco is made on this "oversight" or should we call it "willful ignorance". Does anyone have any facts on figures on the different type of barriers?? if so send them my way, i need another project and i think this could be it, i have friends in alot of the different TV networks in australia and could get the Doco to air. Anyone want to help??

We've had a family friend who on his way to phillip island in 2006 was clipped by a car and thrown into a "cheese grater" barricade. He now is missing his left leg above the knee. Something has to be done, why not now?

Sorry have been unable to log in for a week or so. Help love too, but I reckon the best people to talk to would be the guys and gals at the Mraa Victoria. Now that they are getting their shyte together, and shoveling the shyte out the door, thats been bringing them undone for a few years now. They also have a lot to do with the show on free to air community TV channel 31 "Two wheel torque" down here in Melb. Would probably be a bloody good place to start.
In NSW I spose Greg Hirst would still be the best man to talk too.

PS BTW

And check out the redbacks rally, and mark it down for next year, the Z owners took out way to many awards at the last one, aussie and I want more bandits there, to even out the odds a bit.

[aussiebandit]

PS BTW  

And check out the redbacks rally, and mark it down for next year, the Z owners took out way to many awards at the last one, aussie and I want more bandits there, to even out the odds a bit.

Is there a Bandit Owners Club in Oz? - I've never heard of one.


Maybe..........no.........no.....I don't have enough time as it is, and 'The Treasurer' will kill me if I get involved in any more clubs or organisations, after I promised that the Redbacks would be it for a few years.