Riders 20 times more likely to die on the road
Police say far too many people are dying on New South Wales roads, revealing almost a quarter of deaths this year have been motorcyclists.
As Motorcycle Awareness Week begins, the government has crash tested a number of helmets in a bid to save lives.
A motorcyclist is about 20 times more likely to be killed in a road crash than a car passenger.
NSW Minister for Roads Duncan Gay has released a list of the 30 safest helmets, and says he wants helmets from Europe and other parts of the world made available for NSW riders.
“This year we’ve highlighted 30 news helmets that we’ve tested for roadside compliance,” Mr Gay said.
“I not only want access but an ability to be able to sell them in NSW so our retailers can get some money, our local people can buy them here and, importantly, try them on.”
There are over 226,000 motorcycles and scooters registered in NSW. Since January there have been 52 fatalities – four more than this time last year.
“There’s no reason we have the fatalities and injuries we have on the road with motorcycling,” Bernard Carlon from the Centre for Road Safety said.
“We want to make it a safer form of transport.”
Riders can visit www.ridetolive.nsw.gov.au to get a list of the safest helmets available in NSW.
They can also take a virtual hazard test to brush up on road awareness and reactions.
