Reborn Riders And '90s Roads: A Perilous Mix
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday September 4, 1997
The accident rate for mature motorcyclists is disturbing but, Geoff Hall reports, they now have new incentives for training to stay alert and alive.
They raise their children, pay off their houses and find the time and cash to get back aboard a motorcycle. But these over-40 reborn riders also crash and die in alarming numbers.
The Federal Office of Road Safety's accident reports confirm that today's motorcycles and traffic conditions are a perilous mix for riders who may not have ridden for 20 years.
Their enthusiasm to saddle up and savour the freedom of two-wheel touring can overrule the caution required when the reflexes and the eyes are fractionally not as sharp as they were.
According to the FORS figures, the number of fatal crashes in the 40-59 age group increased by 50 per cent between 1987 and 1995. The two dozen fatalities are minor in outright terms, but relatively high when measured against the number of riders in that age group.
In the same period, fatalities in the 17-25 category - the principal learn-to-ride age group - decreased by 47.5 per cent. In the 26-39 group, the fall was 10.8 per cent.
More recent figures on hospital admissions after accidents show continuing trends. From October 1994 to September 1996, admissions in the 17-25 group decreased by 7.1 per cent; in the 40-59 group, there was an increase of 10.8 per cent.
Astonishing numbers of mature riders are taking - or returning - to the road. The Ulysses Club for over-40 riders has more than 10,000 members nationally and the number is growing at 12 per cent a year. Between 1991 and 1995, the number of licensed NSW riders aged 40-59 increased by 30 per cent.
Over the past six or seven years, most riders seeking a licence for the first time have undergone compulsory training - it may not be the most favoured pastime among tyro motorcyclists but it has been very effective in giving them riding sense and skills, as the above statistics show.
Starting this month, a novel Ulysses Club incentive will subsidise members who sign up for rider training with the Sydney-based Roadsense. The club will pay $30 of the $125 fee, and expects to have about 6,000 participants over the next three years.
According to the club's national president, Gary Vandersluis, "This risk management riding course is designed to give a realistic assessment of dangerous situations and provide strategies for avoidance. The whole aim is to reduce the risk to the rider."
The Blacktown Chapter of the Harley Owners' Group, HOG, already uses Stay Upright to train members, while the proliferation of one-brand riders' clubs such as the Honda, Triumph and Kawasaki groups give plenty of scope to introduce training for older riders.
In what is thought to be an insurance first, Dawes specialist underwriters will discount riders' premiums according to their performance in a Stay Upright risk avoidance course.
"Any initiative which encourages riders to undertake training and reduce the accident rate should be rewarded," said Dawes executive Rod Garnett. This initiative would not be exclusive to older riders but "they tend to be the category seeking specialist insurance".
NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE FATALITIES 1987-95
17-25 years down 47.5%
26-39 years down 10.8%
40-59 years up 50%
© 1997 Sydney Morning Herald
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