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Post by tute on Sept 11, 2017 7:39:17 GMT 10
An article by David Leyonhjelm ....Senator for the Liberal Democrats
It’s the pain and cost of a crash that should dictate safety wear for motorcyclists, not opinionated policemen.
I was mightily pissed off the other day when I heard a senior Victorian policeman interviewed on radio, telling listeners that it is time to legislate to make the wearing of gloves and protective footwear compulsory for motorcyclists.
There were two aspects that annoyed me.
First, wearing a uniform and badge, or even attending traffic accidents in which motorcyclists are involved, does not entitle anyone to tell riders what to wear. Indeed, it is not a qualification for anything except to enforce the law as it exists. The police do not legislate and are not responsible for determining public policy. As for giving safety advice, they have no greater right than our mothers.
Second, motorcyclists are seriously sick of being told they do not properly recognise the risks involved in riding a motorbike.
This involves the assumption that when we don’t wear protective gloves and boots if s because we are stupid and irresponsible, leading to the conclusion that it should therefore be made compulsory.
Clearly this is utter bollocks. It would be rare to find a motorcyclist who is not acutely aware of the consequences of coming off their bike. Most of us have done it at least once, and remember perfectly well the pain involved.
The point is, we accept the risks.
Whenever we throw a leg over our bike, we know that it will hurt if we come off, particularly without protective clothing. It’s our choice, and because no one else is harmed, we should be left alone to pursue what we love.
I am no different from any other rider.
My bike, a BMW S1000R, is extraordinarily powerful and capable of getting me into extremely painful situations. And that’s an issue, because I don’t like pain. I am very much aware of what if s like to scrape my skin along the bitumen. I don’t even like the cold, and regard heated hand grips as the best invention since soft toilet paper.
Most of the time, I choose to wear protective gear. In the summer I prefer a lightweight jacket and gloves. And yet, there are times when the combination of hot weather and heat from the engine makes even that uncomfortable. In full knowledge of the risks, I snip down.
I sometimes hear it said that such an attitude is irresponsible because if I am injured, I will be a burden on my fellow taxpayers (which obviously rules out a lot of people who don’t pay tax) due to our socialised healthcare system.
The shared cost is not disputed, but should we modify our behaviour merely because we have a health system that discourages individual choice?
In my view, the health system needs to change. If we are reckless or irresponsible, we should bear the cost ourselves. If health insurers are legally permitted to take risk into consideration and regard motorcycling as risky, they will raise premiums.
More broadly, as a society we must stop trying to force other people to conform to our idea of what is safe, sensible or responsible. The only aspect that should concern us, and the law, is whether others are harmed.
Indeed, we should celebrate the benefits of motorcycling. Motorcycles ease congestion in cities, use less fuel, require fewer parking spaces, produce fewer emissions and cause less road wear than other vehicles.
And yet when it comes to public policy, we are barely an afterthought. In the 173-page National Road Safety Strategy Review, just two pages are devoted to motorcycling. The majority of politicians and policy makers are not motorcyclists and share the common view that we are all mad.
If we learn to speak with a louder voice, this will change. Our numbers are growing, with motorcycling more popular than ever.
In most states, motorbike registration has outstripped car registration on a percentage basis for the last five years.
In my next term, I intend to seek amendments to the National Road Safety Strategy that reflect respect for motorcycling. I would particularly like to see the best aspects from each state (such as lane filtering and footpath parking) incorporated into the national strategy.
And I will do my best to encourage opinionated police officers to stick to what they know.
David Leyonhjelm is a Senator for the Liberal Democrats
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Post by cster on Sept 11, 2017 9:23:44 GMT 10
Interesting isn't it, to hear him put his foot in it.
To also hear him espouse the other thoughts he is dealing with for motorcycling. Insurance and Medical culpability is interesting.
ATGATT is All the gear All the time, We have such a plethora of gear to wear these days, summer gloves Winter gloves Summer jackets Winter Jackets Summer pants Winter Pants Boot for Summer and Winter it just goes on. Yet they love to ride but don't love the getting ready bit. The trips down the road I have taken caused me so break a toe. The odd sprain or strain and in the earlier days a little gravel rash. Wearing all the gear all the time for the last 30 years has taken care of me the 30 years prior to that was well, teenager stuff, the adventures of youth.
What the Senator says in what he says is interesting, more interesting than what he said.
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Post by Sediba on Sept 11, 2017 11:23:10 GMT 10
I agree with this. Why should the coalition-of-the-weak be allowed to dictate the maximum risk level people are allowed to take. If it was up to the fearful to decide everything we'd never be allowed out of our high-chairs.
There is a new law that is trying to force me to wear a helmet in my little truck. It also prevents me from removing the seat belt harnesses, those these are dangerous in steep forested country. They catch on branches and before you can get your foot off the accelerator you're being choked. Going downhill this is extremely dangerous.
I threw out the seating harness and I refuse to wear a helmet. It limits your senses when you're struggling in scrub.
Unfortunately, the coalition-of-the-weak will never feel safe until we are coccooned from cradle to grave. They will probably want to install seat belts in their coffins.
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Post by donte on Sept 11, 2017 14:25:24 GMT 10
I agree with this. Why should the coalition-of-the-weak be allowed to dictate the maximum risk level people are allowed to take. If it was up to the fearful to decide everything we'd never be allowed out of our high-chairs. There is a new law that is trying to force me to wear a helmet in my little truck. It also prevents me from removing the seat belt harnesses, those these are dangerous in steep forested country. They catch on branches and before you can get your foot off the accelerator you're being choked. Going downhill this is extremely dangerous. I threw out the seating harness and I refuse to wear a helmet. It limits your senses when you're struggling in scrub. Unfortunately, the coalition-of-the-weak will never feel safe until we are coccooned from cradle to grave. They will probably want to install seat belts in their coffins.
I am with you on this one Greg, and am certainly of the same view.... Nanny states here are over regulative and appear to be constantly in full civil service flight.
In the land of the Trump, various States have various laws on individual freedoms.
The wearing of helmets is a sweetheart of an example. Most States when instructed by the Feds (Canberra style) that all shall abide by this helmet thing!! told the Feds to get nicked, as there was no justification for a helmet according to all the trauma statistics from hospitals and from subsequent investigations available. All inquiry had led States to the fact that the helmet actually increased trauma to the victim. Especially when the accident was above 100km per hour and it made little difference because in most instances the increased weight on the head had the effect of breaking the riders neck. However the helmet did decrease the trauma when below 100km per hr but the chances of those neck injuries were still definitely higher.
Some States abided by the Federal ruling... those that did not, do not receive Federal road subsidies or highway funding. I think there are only five States now that still refuse to play the Fed game. We don't have those kind of balls here.
Seat belts do have some good points... but you don't want to be disorientated in the water or have the need to bail quickly....
I say its an issue for the individual.... and there is always the occasion where there are children to consider. Though not good for the woman in Nth NSW recently... trying to get her belted up family out of a sinking car... only one made it.
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Post by Sediba on Sept 11, 2017 15:21:24 GMT 10
I think all life saving restraints should have an over-riding emergency release.
When I'm jinkering a dead trunk, billeted at around 2 metres it can still weigh 1000kg. The little truck only 450kg. If the log gets a roll on towards the ravine it will just drag the truck with it.
I bought a spinnaker clip and this goes between the tow hook and the drag rope. Spinnaker clips are made to take tonnes of tension and still be releasable at a jerk. I bring the jerk line into the cab and never let go of it.
The nanny state would forbid me to collect firewood under the workplace health and safety act. Since april I have cooked every meal on my fireplace. No gas, no elec. It has kept my shack so warm that all thru winter I could still walk around in my underpants. Underpants are my favourite dress code.
Avg of 5kg of ironbark per day. 15 on a really cold day. 5 tonne from april till now if you include the large fireplace in the unskilled hands of the guests.
Compare that to the avg heating/cooking bill with Ergon ... hehee
Since cyclone Debbie, no rain. My usage is 88 litres per person per day. Washing, toilets, showers and cooking ... and laundering after each groups departure. 11,000 litres since April. 11,000 litres left. It's really dry, so dry that guests are on strict rations (they seem to like it?) and I am watering the bird baths with recycled water. No water to wash windows, glass doors or vehicle.
My shower consists of get under, get wet, stop shower, soap up, clean teeth, rinse under shower for one GLORIOUS minute
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Post by donte on Sept 11, 2017 15:27:05 GMT 10
I was in the ER getting plaster on my foot 10 years back (my bike fell on me) The guy doing the plastering asks what did I ride, a cruiser or a sports bike. Cruiser says I. Ah he said we don't see too much of you fellas, mostly dirt bikes and the sporties out racing the clock. The weekends here are extremely busy with the dirt boys and their busted bones.
So I kind of fathomed that when I read of motorbike accident statistics and how they can be reduced by further regulations.. one can only take those stats with a grain of salt.
Cster... all the gear in the world wont stop the tinnie from taking you out... and be truth full, how many times did you want to hurl that helmet into the scrub?
Just came across this on a blog.... Backs up the American findings...
Many years ago Nauruans (when they were still rich) went through a phase of buying powerful motor bikes and at one point I recall there was a death a week (the population then was only a couple of thousand) and in talking to the director of health about the problem he commented that since riders had taken to wearing helmets the survival rate had fallen. He claimed that he could often save someone who came off the bike with head injuries if they had no helmet but helmets often meant that necks were snapped and caused instant death or if they lived there was nothing he could do to save them.
PS. and I suppose he meant the survival rate had fallen!... that means less survived by wearing a helmet.
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Post by cster on Sept 11, 2017 17:29:49 GMT 10
Yes I agree Donte' but part of your gear needs to be the where with all to understand the traffic you are in. My Half face Helmet got wet with sweat many a time, so much so that it required replacing. Gloves were sticky when stationary but worked when on the move. Boots were just my favourites so was as hot as my work boots were. Today life is different, we have summer jackets made of sort of shadecloth? So cool to ride in. My Bellstaffs were fine but don't deliver like todays stuff does. Winf Bellstaff was also with a Lumber Jacket under it and by jove I was warm in it. Nordic Pants worked a treat, plus the BMW's radiator on the nose of the engine made riding warmer than standing around.
Next helmet will be one of those shorties. Gause gloves and pants and Jacket, Riding was as much of getting ready as it was riding when it was to work and back, Next time it's just going to be for me and travel someplace and veg out. Might just be retirement riding ha ha.
But the Senator said the police were perpetuating a line of thought and should not, 1 to be aware of The Senator said that Insurance and Medical was under consideration to target bike riders 2 to be aware of The Senator mentioned the Road Safety Unit's new strategy and it must contain non complementary roll outs of unfriendly but cheap stratagem for road safety management much like wire rope isn't a great thing to hit, there must be more to consider now 3 to be aware of. Either way the road statistics involves unriders too. Trail bikers and Sports bike riders all like to push it, shoot even the Ulysses club likes to push it on their ride days, just read the ride reports of the lead riders scooting way ahead and having so many "try" to stay with them. The race is always on.
As usual there are things afoot to curb out enjoyment in the NANNY STATE and today so many riders simply aren't in just the one MRA or BIKERS LIMITED groups to deal with them, and we lost Hirsty this year, he was an advocate.
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Post by cster on Sept 11, 2017 17:36:44 GMT 10
Riding was as much about getting ready as it was riding, makes me sound like a poser, though I did do 230K kms on that one BMW, a smaller amount on my Triumph. Then again I recall spending similar amount of time in the shed on the triumph making sure it did the mileage I needed it to do. The BMW just did it no chain adjustment, no Points to recheck no Tappets to adjust (shim on Bucket) Auto cam drive lash, Digital injection, CDI ignition, 3 cylinders of smoothness compared to the rumpety rump of the old Twin. God help me didn't I miss that twin. Don't know what next, this spell I'm in will deserve yet another bike in the stable.
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