Comments on: VACC seeks improved road sharing schemes

By: Michael Sutcliffe

Michael Sutcliffe — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:49:43 +0000

Scooters have an enormous potential to free up our roads for people who need to drive a car, and provide a convenient form of personal mobility for the rest of us as cheap as public transport and probably with a carbon footprint nearly as small.

I’ll start with some suggestions. Make bicycle lanes and bus lanes available (bus lanes already available in the ACT). Give scooters free parking in city areas. Permit parking on footpaths by scooters so long as they don’t block them for pedestrians. Let people drive the smaller ones if they hold a full car license (already in WA).

I guarantee this will make the world a better place in our towns and cities. There will be more accidents from scooters, but this will be offset by less car accidents and less people getting mugged on the train or while waiting for the bus etc. And there will be other benefits like less congestion, less damage to roads and cheaper transport costs for lots of people.

By: Frontman

Frontman — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:28:56 +0000

I don’t care what people wear on bikes (although seeing pluggers being worn make me cringe). But I do laugh when the Govco do a push for motorcycle safety trying to get everyone to wear protective clothig yet their very own “Chips” officers wear short sleave cotton shirts and have their helmet covers up (bmw helmets in QLD). Do as I say not as I do>>>>

By: Ridiculous

Ridiculous — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:25:46 +0000

Every second scooter rider is almost wearing that exact inproper apparel. How f**king stupid can you be a pair of heels? have see that too many times.
I dont think that scooters need to use the bicycle lane they are perfectly capable of keeping up with city traffic. If anything i think those bicycle lanes are dangerous. I almost hit a huge crowd of cyclists the other day because at the last minute they decided they had to turn at the lights so they all just pulled out in front of me and then decided to look for traffic.
I dont have the patience to put up with ignorance and i hate the fact that cyclists ride in the middle of a lane in peak hour traffic which holds up all the traffic or they start riding through the traffic which is very dangerous.

By: Jester

Jester — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:56:34 +0000

In the contrary – I would rather see all car licence holders to be required to get a motorcycle licence aswell. This will ensure that everyone on the road is aware of other vehicles and how they behave in a certain situations.
On the topic of protective clothing – well, it would be the same as saying that all car occupants need to wear flame proof suits and helmets – seriously people, its a free country, and if I want to ride in my shorts and a T down to the beach then its my decision. Forum members – Stop acting like bloody pollies and cops and telling everyone else how to lead their lives FFS

By: Tom

Tom — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:47:01 +0000

Sorry to hear about your bad experiences VG, riding in Sydney would be another order of magnitude more insane than riding in Newcastle. It is true most gear is to prevent grazing and scraped off fingers, most gear doesn’t adequately cushion the actual impact from your bones. But if I had the choice between getting a leg cast for three months and being in hospital for 3 months getting skin graphs put on and maggots to clean out the graze wound, on top of a broken leg, I’d just choice the broken leg. Protective gear is worth it, but you’re right, there is no superman suit that guarantees injury free stacks.

By: Phill

Phill — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:27:43 +0000

Share bicycle lanes,thats a lame idea,are they going to put lane lines and keep left slow vehicle signs on hills,i’m sure bicycle riders would love that.

By: Vid_Ghost

Vid_Ghost — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:25:49 +0000

“FrugalOne”

Wearing protection does very little, i had $2000 worth of body armour, Keavalare reinforcing, spine protector, hard plastic shields with padding…I had on the pinnacle of body armour protection, but when a car going 30kmph hit me ( i was also going 30kmph ) The fall broke 13 bones in my body my bike was also written off…

Bikes are great its a shame so many bad drivers make them a deadly form of transport.

By: Vid_Ghost

Vid_Ghost — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:12:01 +0000

As an EX motorbike rider of 5 years i would like to say that in that time i was hit twice and both those times i got the line…” oops sorry i didnt see you ”

YES well did they also not see the STOP sign?? OMG i broke so many bones and spend so many hours waiting for x-rays i will never ride a motorbike on Sydney City Roads ever again!

Ohh and i also found the older drivers to be the most likey to hit bike riders over my 5 years…The two people to hit me were both over 50! Any new laws to help the rider is welcome.

By: Frontman

Frontman — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:42:50 +0000

Leave the bike lanes to pushbikes, but definatley encourage more city commuters to use scooters. How many cars do you see with only 1 person in them? If they were to change over to scooters then
A/ other users would become more aware of them as their numbers increased.(increased safety)
B/ you would get more room on the roads (again increased safety) and faster flowing traffic during peak hour.
C/ less parking congestion, 4 scooters = 1 car.
D/ lower emmisions and more opportunity for alternative (read EV) scooters.
E/ lower running costs for the average family. In Brisbane the cost of using public transport from home to the office and back every day would pay for the scooter, insurance and fuel and even the entertainment that I would find to fill in the extra hours I would have each week.

It is for these reasons that scooters are so popular in Europe and such.

By: FrugalOne

FrugalOne — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:11:49 +0000

JIMBO/TOM^^^^

Both spot on, no gloves, no leg protection, open face helmet, moist likely low kays experience.

If she falls she is going to be very sore, damaged or worse totally dead

Cheers

F-0