The facts of life for motorcycle riders

An image of a motorcycle rider

It's a painful fact of life that motorcycle riders are 30 times more likely to be killed in a crash than any other vehicle drivers in Queensland. Sure, some of those crashes are caused by other vehicle drivers. But in over 83 per cent of fatal motorcycle crashes, the rider was considered to be at fault.

Why be a victim? Face up to the facts and get informed. When you know what you're up against out there on the roads, you're in a better position.

Queensland's 2007 motorcycle road toll

73 people died in motorcycle crashes in Queensland last year.
Every week, at least one motorcycle rider was killed.
Motorcycles account for only four per cent of Queensland registrations, yet motorcycle riders accounted for 20 per cent of road deaths in 2007.
About half these fatal crashes involved no other vehicle.

Check out these motorcycle statistics. Fatalities as a result of crashes involving motorcycles within Queensland between 2003 to 2007.

Which age group is most at risk?

Age	Percent %
5-16 years	3%
17-24 years	24%
25-29 years	13%
30-39 years	30%
40-49 years	15%
50+ years	15%

Which locations are the riskiest?

Location	Percent %
*Greater Brisbane Area	34%
**Provincial cities	38%
Rest of state	28%

Which are the riskiest days to ride?

Day	Percent %
Mondays	8%
Tuesdays	8%
Wednesdays	14%
Thursdays	12%
Fridays	14%
Saturdays	23%
Sundays	21%

When are the riskiest times to ride?

Time	Percent %
6-10am	15%
10am-4pm	35%
4-8pm	28%
8pm-Midnight	11%
Midnight-6am	11%

In 2007 the major causes of fatal motorcycle crashes were***

Event	Percent %
Speed	41%
Alcohol or drugs	23%
Rider inattention	25%
Illegal manoeuvres	24%

These figures come from the Queensland Police and Queensland Transport Data Analysis Unit and are based on actual motorcycle fatalities in 2007 or between 2003 and 2007.

* Greater Brisbane Area includes Brisbane City, Caboolture, Ipswich, Logan, Pine Rivers, Redcliffe, Redland and the northern part of Beaudesert Shire.

** The provincial cities are Bundaberg, Cairns, Caloundra, Charters Towers, Cooloola, Gladstone, Gold Coast, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Maroochy, Maryborough, Mount Isa, Noosa, Rockhampton, Thuringowa, Toowoomba and Townsville.

*** In some fatal motorcycle crashes there is more than one contributing factor.

Face facts

If you're serious about beating these odds, you’d better get serious about taking some precautions.

Be aware. Take care. Survive.
Make sure you can be seen.
Avoid speeding.
Don’t drink and ride.
Wear the right safety gear.
Stick to the road rules.
Take a course to improve your skills.