Each year an average of 2,400 motorcycle crashes are reported in NSW. Although this is only 5% of all road crashes, they account for 14% of all deaths and 9% of all injuries on our roads. The following information covers all serious motorcycle road crashes reported to Police for the period 2003-2007 (RTA, 2008). Download full report Motorcycle crash data NSW 2003-07

Over the last five years, road crashes in NSW have decreased by 8% whereas motorcycle crashes have risen by 18%. Over the same period, the number of registered motorcycles has increased by 33%, compared to only 8% for cars. Riding is not becoming more dangerous, there are just a lot more of us on the road.

This does mean that more needs to be done to make motorcycling safer. Riders can best protect themselves if they understand and manage their risks.

Some facts about motorcycle crashes in NSW, 2003-2007

It is useful to distinguish between the three main categories of motorcycle crash in order to understand what went wrong. These are:

1. Single vehicle crashes (42%)
2. Collisions with other vehicles due to the rider's action (23%), and
3. Collisions due to the other driver(35%).

Although it is difficult to determine fault from crash data, it is possible to identify the key vehicle whose movement was primarily the cause of the first impact. The pie chart below illustrates the proportions of crashes in each of these three categories.

Single vehicle crashes (42%)

More than four out of ten reported motorcycle crashes are single vehicle crashes. Each year in NSW, almost 1,000 riders are involved in serious single vehicle crashes, including over one third (39%) of all motorcycle fatalities.

Why do they crash?

Almost half (48%) involved excessive speed for the conditions. This does not necessarily mean exceeding the speed limit, but they were going too fast to save themselves when things went wrong.

Perhaps surprisingly, single vehicle crashes are equally likely to happen on straight (50%) sections of road as on curves (50%).

Most single vehicle crashes are due to rider error, but about one in five involved loose gravel, pot holes, oil or other road surface hazards. Over the past five years (2003-2007) there were 16 fatal and 868 injury crashes associated with such hazards. Animals on the road are a contributing factor in 6% of crashes.

Crashes on curves are more likely than those on the straight (24% vs 13%), to involve some sort of road surface hazard, such as loose gravel, pot holes or diesel.

DON'T RIDE FASTER THAN YOU CAN SEE

Collisions with other vehicles - other driver at fault

The other vehicle in a multi-vehicle motorcycle crash was most likely to be a private car (81%) or light truck (9%).

Collisions with light trucks are more likely to result in severe injuries and include 17% of all fatal multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes.

The majority (61%) of multi-vehicle crashes are due to the action of the other driver, usually failing to see or give way to the rider.

Thirty five percent of multi-vehicle crashes are at intersections and 84% are due to the actions of the other driver.

T-junctions are the most dangerous type of intersection for riders, they account for almost a third (30%) of all collisions and 20% of all fatal collisions. Collisions at cross roads are less common (18%) but include 13% of fatal collisions.

Seventy percent of collisions at roundabouts and t-junctions, and 73% of collisions at cross roads were due to the other driver.

Apart from intersection crashes, the most common multi-vehicle crashes due to other drivers are changing lanes (15%), emerging from a driveway (7%) and making a U-turn (5%).

DON'T ASSUME THEY HAVE SEEN YOU

Collisions with other vehicles – rider at fault

Rear end collisions make up 18% of crashes and more often than not it is rider into other vehicle (59%).

ALWAYS LEAVE A 3 SECOND GAP IN FRONT OF YOU. 4 TYRES CAN STOP QUICKER THAN 2

Head-on collisions make up 8% of crashes and are also more likely to be due to the rider (72%). These are not overtaking crashes, but due to the rider being on the wrong side of the road, often on a corner.

ON CORNERS, GO IN SLOW AND WIDE, GET OUT FAST AND NARROW

Riders involved in crashes

Young riders are involved in a high proportion of crashes relative to their involvment in motorcycling. Averaged over the past five years, riders under the age of 26 were involved in approximately 29% of all crashes but were the registered owners of only 9% of motorcycles in NSW. Riders aged over 40 were involved in 30% of crashes but owned some 52% of all motorcycles.