Motorbike death toll study

A multi-agency working group set up after last year's worst ever motorcycle road toll will analyse more than 7500 crashes in a bid to improve rider safety.

The new motorcycle safety review group will assess all 7526 motorcycle crashes in WA from 2009 to 2013, investigating the behaviour of riders and other motorists, road design, speed limits and vehicle technology to identify safety initiatives.

Police and Road Safety Minister Liza Harvey said she organised the unprecedented review after 45 motorcyclists were killed in crashes last year, the most on record and a sharp rise from the 25 riders killed in 2013.

The motorcycle deaths accounted for about one-quarter of the total 2014 road toll, although motorcyclists represented only about 5 per cent of licensed vehicles.

Relatives of two motorcyclists killed last year said they hoped the review would lead to better education for drivers, who were often not taught motorcyclists could legally lane-split and could appear beside them.

Sarah Crooke, whose father Paul McGovern was hit by a car while riding home in May, said the road toll could be cut if drivers carefully checked blind spots and did not let themselves be distracted by mobile phones.

Motorcyclists also had to take responsibility and not speed or ride drunk, she said.

"This review is important because anything that can increase safety would be great," she said.

"But the mentality needs to change, drivers need to think about the damage they can do in a moment of distraction."

Kayla Matthews, whose husband Beaudon died after he was struck by a car at a Seville Grove intersection, said restricting riders to lower-powered bikes for longer periods could also help.

Office of Road Safety executive director Iain Cameron said motorcyclists were very vulnerable in crashes and the problem was increasing as more people rode motorbikes.

There were 151 motorcyclists killed between 2009 and 2013 and about half of the 7526 motorcycle crashes resulted in injuries or deaths.

Preliminary analysis discussed at the think tank's first meeting yesterday showed most metropolitan crashes involved riders losing control on a bend and collisions with turning vehicles at intersections.

Mr Cameron said the most common crashes on country roads were motorcyclists running off the road on a bend, with no other vehicle involved.

Mrs Harvey said the crash analysis had dispelled the myth that many motorcyclists were hit by vehicles on rainy days.