Cap motorcycle speeds at 50km/h is one of the more ludicrous suggestions put forward at the first of a series of community road safety forums in regional Victoria this week.

The suggestion from an unknown attendee was actually written up on a blackboard among other strategies, such as more driver/rider education and fewer varied speed limits.

Victorian Motorcycle Riders Association member John Nelson, who attended the forum in Ballarat says that despite the speed cap suggestion being noted, it was not treated seriously.

Speed cap

“I believe it was a member of the public who suggested the 50km/h cap,” he says. 

“There were a few old people on mobility scooters having a whinge.  It was probably one of them.

“Certainly no-one in government circles.

“I told Roads Minister Jaala Pulford about it and she laughed at that suggestion.  

“But some people have a poor idea of thinking on road safety issues and solutions.  When I saw it I said we will be slaughtered. 

“50kmh is idle in top gear on my bike.  Perhaps we should make a mockery of that suggestion, just to be sure.  

“Even a more totalitarian government would not adopt that.  I think I killed it right there on the night.” 

Road safety suggestions

However, the ridiculous speedcap suggestion gives an indication of the knee-jerk “solutions” surfacing in the wake of a spike in road deaths:

“As usual, driving infringements and enforcing the laws are always on the agenda,” John says.

The Ballarat community road safety forum is one of several to be held in regional Victoria where road deaths have spiked at 72 compared with 41 in metropolitan Melbourne.

John says there were a few other “surprise” road safety suggestions.

“The Western Police regional command were strong on returning riders being retrained,” he says.

“The same copper also conceded that the Towards Zero campaign has failed.  The TAC will replace it with another campaign later next year.

“Clearly it will never work.”  

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com