h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Recently, in what appeared to be a nation-wide, orchestrated campaign, Australian newspapers reported a push to bring back front number plates for motorcycles. In one particularly poor example of biased journalism, the Sunday Mail (Brisbane) displayed speed-camera photographs of motorbikes snapped front-on while travelling at some speed, or doing wheelies - on the front page and in full-colour. The article, but particularly the editorial, essentially came down to one thing - bikes were getting away with something that car drivers couldn't.

Politicians promoted the idea of front number plates, and the suggestion of some sort of transponder was raised as an alternative. Of course, the politicians espoused that the issue is about safety. It's blatantly obvious that it has nothing to do with safety, and more to do with unthinking politicians jumping on the bandwagon of "zero-tolerance" and the "cracking down" mindset that they think is popular.

It's also likely to have something to do with lost revenue, and may also be because the police have had enough of motorcyclists taking the mickey out of them. After all, the reason the biker was doing a wheelie when photographed? He knew the speed camera was there...

Speed cameras have had no impact on the road-toll in Australia, but have boosted state revenues considerably. It's also unlikely that putting front licence plates on bikes (it seems probable that the transponder idea is an ambit move, as it is even less popular than front licence plates) will have any effect on the number of motorcyclists killed each year.

More effective steps to improve bike riding safety might include higher levels of rider and driver training, campaigns to increase motorcycle awareness amongst car drivers, and putting some of that speed camera revenue into constructing roads that are bike-friendly.

And if the police officer in charge of the speed camera unit wasn't, dare I say, dozing on the job, perhaps a note of the offending riders rear licence plate wouldn't be that hard to take, and some of that lost revenue might make it's way into the governments hands...

Bad

And anyone in the UK reading thgis, watch out! It seems that the TRRL (Transport research bods who came up with the leg protector looniness) are quite impressed by their Australian Counterparts. Remember daytime headlights? I believe, and I'm sure I shall be corrected if wrong, that Oz ran a year long 'trial' of mandatory daytime headlamps, at the end of which no conclusive evidence of decreased accidents could be found. They went ahead anyway and the TRRL like to quote it in support of similar legislation over here.

So if this what Oz is up to now, expect to see it in Limey land sometime soon...

BZ, were they proposing the use of the old style numberplate on the front? Cos wasn't that removed due to the injuries it could cause when a mb hit someone?

I've heard about the daytime headlight thing (UK). There was talk of forcing manufacturers to hardwire the headlights on. This would cause huge problems with battery drain whilst idling in traffic and if your battery is low.

The thing that really p**ses me off is that legislation on motorbikes is put together by politicians who know nothing about biking and are trying to make a name for themselves.

DONT get me started on market research!!

After that rant, I think that I shall go and have a lie down.

Having a good rant is exactly why I started the "talking point" thing!

Hardwired headlights are no longer compulsory in Australia, I believe, but some manufacturers still export bikes to Australia without a headlight switch.

I'd probably keep forgetting to turn the lights on and off if I bought a bike with a switch now! Still, it'd be nice to have the choice....

Bad

My 2-cents worth...

Front number plates are a bad idea for too many reasons to list, not least of wich is the aforementioned safety issue of slicing innocent, read: Docile pedestrians to itty-bitty bits. This is why they were removed in most countries back in the 50's or 60's.

Transponders are an even sillier Victorian gov't idea, that will seriously infringe the civil liberties of Motorcyclists. Talk about "big-brother" watching where you go and who you do...

Lights on should be personal choice, personally I always have had them on even on bikes that had off switches.

As always these are just My Humble Opinions.
Pond_Rat

Simple

If they force you to put number plates on the mudguards, make sure that they are sharp with a serrated edge...
The same papers will soon be full of horror stories about it, and they will be banned again (i know, i know)

I heard a very unpleasant story about someone leaving the road and coming to rest under a horse, then having the horse guts empty on him...

Had this in germany as well- in england the Gatsos take the picture from behind once you have gone past them - why didnt the rest of the world think of that ?
Gives you a better chance to see them first as well...

Our lazy revenue raising Coppers want to save money by having one camera cover both directions of traffic. Currently they use the behind method too - (Hence the occassional story of motorcycles doing wheelie's past them to hide the plate)

In Oz, well NSW anyway, they do have to put signs up to let you know they're there, so there is no excuse for getting caught really (happened to me t'other week, with a newly installed one in an area "I knew"...)

BUT I have seen mobile units (copper in car with 'radar-gun/camera' unit) who put their signs out - the other side of the vehicle given the flow of traffic. Cheeky

Gatso's (Standard Government Speed Cameras, aka, a box on a post) Have all been covered with orange hi-vis coverings. Basically due to the law that speed cameras "are not allowed to make profit" (In the UK). Although a word of warning, they can still get you if your in a differant lane (ie Bus lane/other side of the road)


Personally, front number plates??? BAD idea!?? What about sports bikes? It'd be ok if your going under 50, but when you start hitting 70+ It would cause horrendous instability!!!

The problem that they've had, had been that they if caught, you could claim that it wasn't you, and not disclose who it was... ... Unfortunately the Gov' cottoned onto this, and stopped it...

Does anyone know how to link from an entry to a conversation?

I'd like to link from the clubhouse to this conversation, and others that people might start like it....

Sure,

Like this:



ie:

<LINK H2G2="F87255?thread=187003&amp;latest=1" />

<./>F87255?thread=187003&amp;latest=1</.>

Notice that if there is a switch "&", you have to put it into the "&amp;" format, othersiwe the GuideML will barf at you...

?

Excellent! Thanks very much

Congratulations, by the way, and I hope your honeymoon doesn't wear you out to much...

Daytime headlights are required in SA, but they are not hardwired - except my old 1980 BMW R80 (USA model).
A neat spin-off is that the local constabulary have great difficulty in getting a clear radar / laser reading on an erring bike if it's headlight is on high beam (the poor aimer gets blinded) . If it's a group of bikes all on high beam, it's nearly impossible.

A PS to post no6 above:
No front plates out here in SA - the outlaw bikers avoid embarassing fines by fixing the rear numberplate mounting bracket only. The only legal way to mount the plate itself means that if you hit a good sized bump and bottom out your suspension, the plate pops out! Just memorise the line:
But officer, the plate was there when I left home this morning - must've fallen out along the way! (Of course you can't have a spare one in your backpack, you idiot!)

This has actually happened to me but a following rider in the group stopped and picked it up for me. Now I (illegally) use a cable tie in each corner just to keep the plate in place - saves the cost of a new one!

The bad boys mount the plate to an ingenious device that hinges the plate on the upper edge, with a cable control to lift it into a horizontal position. No see, no fine!

The really bad boys just don't mount a plate at all! By the time the boys in blue realise there isn't a plate, they have at least twenty seconds head start at 160+ and they never seem to catch up. If you catch him parked, he'll have the bracket and plate in his backpack but no screwdriver to fix it!

Hi, here in the uk I jus read an article about the 360degree camera in mobile speed camera vans! basiclly when activated the camera takes pics from the front then follows you as you pass giving a rear , side view and front picture (taking any unique details - right down to your leathers an decals on helmets etc) and they prosecute that way! sneaky blighters here !!!!!!

Sorry, I don't really have a lot of symapthy for the "right to speed" campaign

That's an old thread you've decided to resurect!

Hi Beatrice, I wasn't meaning that people should speed! i was only pointing out that those that do may not be getting away with it much longer due to those clever boffins!!!!
I myself don't own a bike and therefor an not overly concerned!.
cheers