NEWS

20th March 2012

NZ joins planet earth, shock!

 In case you’ve been living under a stone – or repairing the gearbox on your Norton Commando, which is pretty much the same thing – you’ll have heard that the give way rules change on the 25th of March.

Basically, we will be joining the rest of the world and abandoning the stupid, perverse and counterintuitive rule that means you have to give way to right-turning traffic when you are turning left. Also gone is the ‘letting someone turning out of a side road when you are turning right into it’ madness. (Although, it has to be said, in all the time I have driven on New Zealand roads I have never seen anyone obey the latter.)

If you find the new rules confusing check out the NZTA advice at http://www.giveway.co.nz/interactive.

From the 25th onwards, turning off a road to the left becomes much easier. You just do it - having checked behind and indicated, of course. This is as it should be because we drive on the left, so keeping left or going left is moving to your ‘safe’ side. Equally sane is turning off a main road to the right worrying only about oncoming traffic (with a quick lifesaver to check for overtaking nutters). The very idea of the old rule - sitting there, waiting shy of the junction on your right for someone to make their way out of it and join a major road - was bonkers.

While what happens at 5.00am on the 25th is undoubtedly a change for the better, don’t rely on it going smoothly. Expect general muppetry, not just on the day but for some time after.

Until June, at least, I’ll be viewing anyone negotiating a junction at the same time as me as an accident waiting to happen. One slip of the memory is all it takes. Assume nothing.

20th December 2011

Safer Journeys for Motorcycling

The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), in collaboration with MOTO NZ, local road authorities, and ACC, have been working together to address the disproportionately high crash risks associated with motorcycling on New Zealand's roads.

The draft motorcycling safety guide, Safer Journeys for Motorcycling, focuses on safer roads and roadsides, and identifies ways that local authorities can make our roads safer for motorcycling, among other improvements.

But to help ensure success, they need to hear from everyone that has an interest in improving motorcycling safety. Take a look at the draft version of Safer Journeys for Motorcycling and them know what you think. Feedback is open until Friday 27th January.  To download a copy of Safer Journeys for Motorcycling, go to:

www.nzta.govt.nz/consultation/draft-safer-journeys-for-motorcycling-guide/

4th November 2011

Safe Summertime Scootering

With summer fast approaching and young scooter riders keen to get out and enjoy the good weather, ACC is encouraging riders to add another layer of clothing.

Last year ACC paid out approximately $2 million supporting injured scooter riders, with a third of claims being for 15-24 year old riders.
ACC’s ‘Add another layer’ campaign is targeting young riders who, while enjoying the freedom and convenience of their scooter, may not have given much thought to avoiding serious injuries if they do come off.

Even at low speeds scooter riders can be badly injured in a crash and nasty grazes are really common. Tee-shirts, shorts and jandals offer zero protection against the unforgiving asphalt and the risk of a more serious injury is far greater if riders aren’t even covering bare skin.

"Just one layer of clothing can help reduce the seriousness of injuries" says Keith McLea, ACC’s General Manager of Insurance and Prevention Services. "Simply adding a long sleeved jacket can reduce the severity of injury in 75% of crashes".

Dr McLea says that while full protective gear is always going to be best, wearing clothes you already have will still make a big difference. "Long sleeves, gloves, jeans or long pants, shoes or boots are your best protection. Plus wear a full face helmet to give more protection to your face if the worst does happen."

ACC wants young scooter riders to be able to spend the long sundrenched summer days having fun, not recovering indoors from an injury.

So give yourself a chance and add a layer. More safety tips and information for scooter riders is available at www.scootersurvival.co.nz

What to wear

Upper body:

• Your upper body takes a lot of the impact – long sleeves and jackets buy your skin some time.
• Run your hands over the road and you’ll see why gloves are essential.
• Don’t have your face meet the road – full face helmets protect your chin, teeth and face.

Lower body:

• Imagine your legs scraping against the road, it’s not pretty – jeans or long pants help protect them.
• Your bare feet don’t stand a chance – shoes or boots are your best protection.

11th March 2011

Our Campaign

Our latest scooter safety campaign aims to get young riders to cover up bare skin.

Scooters clad in brightly coloured fabrics will be zipping around Auckland,  Palmerston North , Wellington  and  Hamilton,  taking the message to young riders that bare skin and tarseal are a bad mix.

The scooters are part of ACC’s ‘Add another layer’ campaign which aims to encourage young scooter riders (aged 15-24) to cover up to reduce the seriousness of injuries from a crash.

During the warmer months, it’s not uncommon to see scooter riders dressed in teeshirts, shorts and jandals and unfortunately, this offers little or no protection for riders who come off in a crash.

While full protective gear would offer the best protection, ACC understands that scooters are about freedom and convenience.  So the campaign doesn’t tell scooter riders to go out and buy expensive biker gear – but to at least protect themselves as best they can with clothes they already own.

The message to riders is to wear sneakers, not jandals; jeans instead of shorts; a jacket instead of a teeshirt; and gloves. 

Scooter related claims and costs have increased more than six-fold over the last ten years. Last year, there were around 1000 new claims, and the total cost of support for injured scooter riders was $2.6 million. 

Watch a behind the scenes video of the scooters getting stripped down and recovered with fabric.

1st November 2009

Lights on during the day

From 1 November 2009, changes to the road rules means that all motorcyclists and moped riders must use headlamps or daytime running lamps during daylight hours.

Since poor visibility is a contributing factor in many multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes, daytime headlamps will help make motorcycles more visible to other road users. This requirement applies to riders of all mopeds or motorcycles made after 1 January 1980.

Read the full article on NZTA website