Roads and motorcycling: Raising the profile.

Throughout the western world, motorcyclists, as a minority group on the roads, often don’t receive the attention amongst road designers, maintenance workers and road engineers that their crash profile suggests is required. Since 2004, VicRoads has been raising the profile of the specific, and often unique, needs of riders to facilitate safer riding. Specific hazards for motorcyclists may not be as hazardous for other road users; e.g. potholes, loose gravel on a curve, slippery or sunken pit lids, and impaired sightlines. This paper describes the approach taken by VicRoads in getting motorcycle safety “front of mind” for people involved in road design, building or maintenance, as well as the challenges faced in reaching external road managers.