Motorcycle safety in Victoria: Black?spot? the difference

Motorcyclists are amongst the most vulnerable road users on Victorian roads,
accounting for less than 1% of traffic volume, but representing approximately
14% of road fatalities and serious injuries. Many ‘blackspots’ for motorcycle
crashes have too few crashes to be ranked as a priority for funding under
State or Federal Blackspot programs. The introduction of the Motorcycle
Safety Levy in October 2002 provided a dedicated funding source for both on-
road and non-road motorcycle safety projects. This provided the opportunity
to initiate a blackspot program, believed to be the first large scale systematic
blackspot program anywhere in the world targeting locations with a history of
motorcycle crashes, and developing treatments which specifically address the
factors contributing to motorcycle crashes. The three components of the
Motorcycle Blackspot Program are blackspot/blacklength projects which
address loss of control crashes, long route treatments which aim to create
safe and consistent conditions along the entire length of a popular motorcycle
route, and intersection blackspot projects which specifically address factors
contributing to motorcycle crashes in these complex environments. To date,
92 road improvement projects have been completed. A preliminary evaluation
conducted in March 2006 showed an indicative 38% reduction in motorcycle
casualty crashes at the first 51 sites treated under the Motorcycle Blackspot
Program. Future effects of the program will be monitored closely and a full
evaluation will be conducted when sufficient crash data becomes available.
Ongoing evaluations will develop valuable knowledge about the types of
treatments that effectively reduce the risk of motorcyclist injury crashes.