Motorcycle and Scooter Safety Programs
Overview
This audit examined how successful the road safety agencies—VicRoads, Victoria Police and the Transport Accident Commission—have been in improving the safety of riders and passengers travelling on motorcycles and scooters. We also included the Department of Sustainability and Environment in the audit because it is responsible for state forests and parks used by motorcycle riders.
We assessed whether agencies had understood the motorcycle safety risks, prioritised and implemented initiatives to address these risks, and evaluated the success of these initiatives and their combined impact on implementing government policy.
The road safety agencies have had mixed success in reducing motorcycle rider and passenger fatalities and serious injuries, but along with South Australia, have been more effective than other states. Achieving reductions over a period of several years is very challenging because motorcycle use has risen rapidly over the last decade and continues to rise.
Sufficient attention, however, has not been paid to unreported and off-road crashes. This audit’s comparison of crash and hospital injury data shows that the road safety agencies need to understand these crashes and their implications for motorcycle safety programs.