Team - it is well known that WA drivers are amongst the least motorcycle aware motorists in Australia. The number of fatalities this year proves this and comments like that seen in todays Letter to the Editor in the West (eg loud pipes are the problem, front number plates needed, mandatory Hi Viz) show how poorly people understand the roads and the cause of these deaths. 

That said - motorcyclists (and cyclists - i am both) need to not add fuel to the anti-motorcyclist/cyclist debate in WA by flaunting the road rules. Lane splitting, not indicating, running lights etc just get an already pissed off, hyped up, non-attentive motorist population even more edgey - and the loser in a car v bike battle is always the rider.

Be ever vigilant, ride within the rules and look out for each other - this might slowly change the perception of the biking fraternity, see the government not mandate ridiculous laws to try and save us? and see many more of us around to enjoy the ride.  

i agree with lane splitting when traffic is stationary. Getting away from the madness makes sense.

31 dead to late October. 2 more last weekend.

 

 

 

31 dead is a fuckin lot of families grieving.

I have no doubt that there will be a price to pay once some politicians decide it's another bandwagon worth jumping on.

I'm with Southwind ride safe as we are a long time dead.

I would like to see the stats broken down..,ie,single,involving another vehicle, age and time holding licence,size of the bike involved. The Premier came out a couple of months ago saying baby boomers and FIFO workers splashing cash on large bikes were the part blame, typical shoot from the hip political comment.
I have passed while riding here in WA where some of the accidents have happened and riders have lost there lives and thought to myself how the f..k did that happen there ???.RIP to those who we have lost.
Know your limits and stay below them.

I lived by that rule all my bike riding life (which is only minor compered to some dinosaurs' around here ) stay out front there all out to get you , but being the victim of a blind bitch which was completely her fault even in the eyes of the law she was still let off in court because she sobbed for 8 hours in court and the state govment paid for her $8000+ in court fees we had a female judge which felt sorry for her, mind you I was in hospital for 3 1/2 mth 12 operations still in a wheel chair a year later and over 3 years later still not back at work and still have more operations on the cards and the police where completely on my side ,one of the worst judgements in 20 + year s the police prosecutor had seen , and yes there are plenty of fukwit drivers around just take a drive up the freeway and see how many people you can see using there phones ,speeding,tailgating ,driving to slow , in last 3 mths I have seen at least 4 truck drivers driving 30+ ton on there phones etc and yes even
bad bike riders ,yes would like to see the stats how many where scooter riders that had never riden in there life but now had to due to fuel prices
but yes RIP to those on the lists and saying we need hi vis and front number plates to help save lifes is crap hivis should be the riders choice and the other
is for revenue my 2c of to pop my morninig drugs

Fuck perthhog that's not right, did she get convicted? fined? made to pay you compensation? Surely even the sisters act couldn't prevent justice being done....then again nothing surprises me anymore.

There are so many bad drivers/riders that I've become a social rider something I never thought I would. Driving to work on the Tonkin isn't my idea of fun, so many vehicles just change lane without looking or indicating makes it dangerous in my ute and bloody lethal on my Softail even with loud pipes!

nope no conviction ,I wasn't expecting much to happen to her with our piss weak judges it was more the fact that she was in the wrong
and all the evidence was there ,no compensation from here that's what the 3rd party insurance is for you do get money for loss of income
in payments if you ask for it but in in the last 3 years I have had 50 % of my normal earnings plus you claim centre link which you pay back
when you get payments from 3rd party ,the reason why she was let off cause her lawyer argued the fact that she could not understand
English and what she had said in her statement, but yet she had changed a few details half a dozen times and signed it at the hospital
when she was treated for a bump on her forehead in her 2 hour stay

Thats terrible if she could not speak and understand english she should not have been allowed a licence!

Lived and worked in a number of our capital cities , so have no bias of one state over another , But WA , Perth drivers are the worst in Australia by a country mile .
Look at you , then pull out anyway , dont matter if you are in a car or on a bike , never seen anything like it any where in Aus .
The fact that Perth is also by far the "hit and run " capital of Aus speaks volumes about the respect shown towards bikers .
I put a lot of it down to the cops and the anti biker campaign they have run for years now

Another fatality tonight in Myaree - looks like car turned in front of female rider. Be super vigilant brothers and sisters as the roads are filling with distracted XMAS motorists. Condolences to the family and friends.

 

 

 

 

Time for some harsh education methinks, and maybe not just in WA! But what to do?.............It has me buggered!

Traffic collisions are a risk in every State and there are no figures to support WA as being any more or less 'Rider Aware' than other Australian jurisdictions. As a rider with thirty years in the saddle I have made it a rule to never lane hop, weave between cars (stationary or otherwise) and the implied benefits of pulling away from the traffic early is simply an unacceptable risk that will bring some riders to grief. What I do practice is situational awareness.

For me situational awareness is the concept of being in a bubble whereby I am acutely immersed in my immediate environment. The extent of this invisible boundary is governed by my senses. Sight, sound and instinct. Therefore it is an infinite and mobile zone for riders and drivers alike. We are constantly preaching driver awareness and riders are either painted as the irresponsible party or victims when these parties collide. What we need to do is manage our own risks as if the entire motorised public is blind to our presence, ignorant of our limitations and disregarding of our rights to use the roadways in safety.

Why must we accept these lesser terms than four or more wheeled vehicle compadres? Well that's easy. If we don't look ten seconds ahead we're the ones most likely to end up dead or suffering as our friend above is. 

Sorry if I sound rhetorical, but all the shape shifting on Earth won't change the fact that we're the only ones who can look before we leap. I enjoy riding so much that travelling behind a slower driver a few seconds more just enhances my ride, while setting off third or more at the lights means I don't get hit by the pissed idiot running a red light.

I'd love to have ideal scenarios to paint or perfectly executed poetry in vehicular motion, but reality denotes it won't happen. So again I suggest we take responsibility and accept that once we leave our property and enter the wilderness of roadways in front of us we are at higher risk of damage, injury and death than the soccer mum in her "I just bought a Jeep" motorcycle bulldozer. 

Another road death is tragic news and he was so young. It has been suggested that the driver of the 4WD which collided with him cut a corner, but it pays to note it was dark, the motorcycle was not registered and had no lights whatsoever. As terrible as this event is, it's hardly very surprising at all.

The lad was about to get married and had a three year old daughter...

Sad for his partner and child but it proves you don't need to be intelligent to breed!

I've spent time driving and riding in every state except NT. I wouldn't say car drivers are any worse in WA, but many motorcyclists do crazy stuff in that state. 2 of my past work colleagues live and ride there, both have sports bikes with flip up plates for one reason - outrunning the cops. And it's no wonder, their roads are so straight the fun doesn't start till you hit 200 km/hr. Both have lost friends and fellow riders, but they continue to do it. They post their videos on a private YouTube channel. I'm not surprised the car drivers want them wearing hi vis when these guys lane split 100km/hr traffic while doing 200km/hr. 6 months ago I visited a damaged motorcycle auction in Perth and one thing stood out - the average age of the bikes is much lower than the auctions in the rest of the country. Smells like middle aged cashed up mine workers buying a fast toy they can't handle. Just my perception of it anyway.

Damn that is bad but where I live it is also bad as the car drivers here are like mostly drunk when they drive at night the guys who drive the motorcycles they are like just I even don't know how to describe them

When I was running interstate I used to go to Perth a bit and I have to say that Perth drivers are the worst out of any capital for truck awareness. They just pull out right in front of you, cut you off and just do stupid stuff around trucks. Well, they did a few years ago anyway. I hope they are better now. I used to dread going in there.

man charged- dumps the car before handing himself in. Suss.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-01/man-charged-over-fatal-accident-hit-and-run/6060506

 

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-01/man-charged-over-fatal-accident-hit-and-run/6060506

What a loser.