Motorcycle Route Safety Review.

The Victorian “arrive alive!” Motorcycle Safety Strategy (2002- 07) acknowledged the growth in motorcycling and aimed to reduced motorcycle crashes, and motorcycle rider and pillion passenger deaths and injuries. Crash data analysis identified an issue with road safety for motorcyclists, with implications for infrastructure, within the RoadSafe Inner Melbourne Community Road Safety Council (RSIM CRSC) boundaries, which encompass the Cities of Melbourne, Port Phillip and Yarra.
In response, RSIM CRSC instigated a series of audits to address the infrastructure aspects of this problem. Rather than focus on intersection black spot issues, the audits sought to identify hazards that had the potential to cause motorcycle crashes for the ten routes with the highest rider and pillion serious injury incidents and deaths. The routes audited encompassed significant lengths of arterial roads.
Funding was obtained through the Victorian “SafeRoads Make Motorcycling Safer” initiative, plus equivalent funding from the three municipal councils.
The project was managed by the RIMCRSC motorcycle safety sub-committee, which is convened by a community representative who is an experienced motorcyclist, with representation from the three involved Councils, VicRoads and Victoria Police.
The motorcycle route safety review was conducted by an experienced motorcyclist, on a motorcycle. The audit included video footage, photos, crash data, and identified key issues and hazards for motorcyclists. The audit recommended remedial treatments and changes to maintenance programs. Many of these treatments are now underway with funding from VicRoads or, where appropriate, the Cities of Melbourne, Port Phillip and Yarra