Motorcycle and Scooter Safety. Compendium of Best Practices

4/2/2016

Compendium of Best Practices on Motorcycle and Scooter Safety

Home | Economies | Issues | Safety Interventions | Case Studies | Links | About

Case Studies

Motorcycle blackspot treatments (Victoria, Australia) The State of Victoria, in Australia, has implemented what is probably the most extensive program of treating locations where multiple motorcycle crashes have occurred. These hazardous locations are commonly termed blackspots (individual sites) or blacklengths (lengths of road). From the inception of the program in 2003 until 30 June 2010, 130 locations had been treated.

The program was originally modelled on proven successful accident blackspot programs for all vehicles which had been undertaken in Victoria (Newstead and Corben, 2001) and throughout Australia (BTCE, 1995). An evaluation of the effects of these programs showed similar percentage reductions in casualty crashes for motorcyclists and all road users (Corben, 2009).

The program has three components: blackspot or blacklength treatments focusing on preventing run­off­road crashes, intersection treatments and long route treatments on popular motorcycle routes to improve the consistency of the road environment.

From the commencement of the program until mid­2007, about 70% of the projects were blackspot or blacklength locations, with about 30% being long route projects.

After mid­2007, the number of intersection projects increased.

However, given that motorcycle crashes comprise only a small proportion of crashes in Victoria (about 15% of fatalities and serious injuries), the criteria which were used to identify general blackspots had to be modified to be appropriate for motorcycles.

For the purposes of the program, a motorcycle blackspot was defined as a location in which a minimum of 3 loss of control casualty (fatality or injury) crashes had been reported to police in the last 5 years. A metropolitan blacklength was defined as where at least 3 loss of control casualty crashes and at least 2 casualty crashes per km had occurred over the past 5 years. A rural blacklength required at least 3 loss of control casualty crashes and at least 0.5 casualty crashes per km had occurred over the past 5 years. Intersection blackspots had a minimum of 3 motorcycle casualty crashes over the last 5 years. The long route program considered routes for which the proportion of motorcycle casualty crashes exceeded 11% of all casualty crashes (Brennan and Beer, 2007).

The blackspot or blacklength locations are identified by regional offices of the state road authority (VicRoads) from analysis of the official state database of police­ reported casualty crashes. Engineers and expert riders then examine the candidate sites and propose treatments which are costed and estimates of savings in motorcycle casualty crashes made. The projects are reviewed by the Victorian http://www.carrsq.qut.edu.au/APEC/case_studies/Victoria_blackspot.html

1/3

4/2/2016

Compendium of Best Practices on Motorcycle and Scooter Safety

Motorcycle Advisory Council and prioritised according to savings in motorcycle casualty crashes. Recommended treatments are submitted for approval by the Minister for Roads and Ports. Approved projects are then delivered and managed by the state road authority.

The treatments implemented have largely comprised improvements to enhance sight lines and delineation, control vehicle speed, improve the road surface, reduce the risk of crashes with fixed roadside objects, provide effective signage or controls, and manage traffic flows (see Brennan and Beer for details).

The long route treatments generally cost between $300,000 and $850,000, while the blacklength treatments were commonly approximately $400,000 to $600,000. The intersection treatments were somewhat cheaper, ranging from $70,000 to $210,000 in 2008­09 (from VMAC Annual Reports).

The Program has been evaluated in terms of its effectiveness in reducing motorcycle casualty crashes and a range of economic measures (Scully, Newstead & Corben, 2008). The evaluation reported a 24% reduction in motorcycle casualty crashes at the 87 sites treated, equating to about 24 motorcycle casualty crashes per year. This included a 16% reduction in serious casualty crashes which was not statistically significant. The benefit:cost ratio was estimated at 15:1, which is higher than is reported for many general Blackspot programs. The results of the evaluation suggested that blacklength treatments were associated with greater reductions in motorcycle casualty crashes than long route and intersection treatments, but the authors caution that analysis of additional treatments is needed to confirm this pattern.

The Victorian Motorcycle Blackspot Program is one of the activities funded by the Motorcycle Safety Levy. The Levy is a fee added to the compulsory third party injury insurance premium for motorcycles with an engine capacity of above 125 cc to fund initiatives to improve the safety of riders which would not otherwise be funded by government agencies (link to guidelines). It started at $55 per motorcycle and was changed in 2008 to only apply once to private owners of multiple motorcycles. From the commencement of the Levy in 2002 to the end of June 2010, it has raised approximately $35 million. About two­thirds of the money collected has been spent on the motorcycle blackspot program.

References Arrive Alive: Motorcycle blackspot projects. Victorian Government.

Brennan, C. and Beer, K. (2007). Motorcycle safety in Victoria: Black"spot" the difference [PDF]. Paper presented at Australasian Road Safety Research, Policing and Education Conference.

Victorian Motorcycle Advisory Group Annual Report: 2008­2009 [PDF].

Victorian Motorcycle Advisory Group Annual Report: 2009­10 [PDF].

Corben, B. (2009). The effectiveness of Victoria's Accident Blackspot Programs in reducing motorcycle crashes. Presentation to Western Australia Motorcycle and Scooter Safety Forum, 3­4 April 2009.

Scully, J., Newstead, S.V. & Corben, B.F. (2008). Evaluation of the Motorcycle Blackspot Program [PDF]. Consultancy Report to VicRoads by Monash University Accident Research Centre.

© APEC 2011 sitemap http://www.carrsq.qut.edu.au/APEC/case_studies/Victoria_blackspot.html

2/3

4/2/2016

Compendium of Best Practices on Motorcycle and Scooter Safety

http://www.carrsq.qut.edu.au/APEC/case_studies/Victoria_blackspot.html

3/3