New Zealand’s most popular motorcycle routes sought

MEDIA RELEASE

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2016

New Zealand’s most popular motorcycle routes sought

Kiwi motorcyclists are being asked to lend a hand to motorcycle safety by opening up their map books and showing where they ride.
A nationwide survey, launched today by ACC, the NZ Transport Agency and the Motorcycle Safety Advisory Council (MSAC), aims to identify New Zealand’s most popular touring routes.

“We want to make sure efforts to improve motorcycle safety are on routes motorcyclists ride,” says MSAC chair Mark Gilbert.

“Right now 48% of serious and fatal crashes involving motorcyclists occur on just 3% of the road network. We hope that making changes to those pieces of the network that present the most risk, will go some way to reducing the toll.

“As part of this work ACC and the Transport Agency will be looking at how and where to effectively use things like safety barrier under-runs, post protectors, and better signage for motorcyclists. They will also investigate improving some road surfaces depending on the nature of the risks,” Mr Gilbert said.

MSAC, ACC and the NZ Transport Agency have already identified sections of road that are the highest risk to motorcyclists. The results of this analysis are can be seen at www.roadsafetyrisk.co.nz.

The work is part of the Government’s 2016-2020 Safer Journeys Action Plan which has a specific focus on making motorcyclists safer, as well as ensuring roads and roadsides support safer travel.

Work on improving motorcycle routes has been piloted along the popular Coromandel Loop and on the Rimutaka Hill Rd north of Wellington.

“MSAC is very pleased to see road builders and engineers starting to consider motorcyclists. However, we still need to keep up our skills, wear the right gear and ride at the right speed for the road and the conditions. No barrier will save someone driving too fast for the road,” Mr Gilbert said.

The survey closes November 18 and can be accessed here or through www.msac.org.nz orwww.roadsafetyrisk.co.nz.

ENDS

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