Motorcyclists crashing at horrific rate on hinterland roads
RACQ is pleading with motorcycle riders to slow down and ride to the conditions this National Road Safety Week (NRSW) as shocking statistics reveal Mount Glorious Tourist Drive and other hinterland roads are some of Queensland’s most dangerous.
Out of 21,500km of state-controlled roads analysed by RACQ, popular hinterland routes for riders topped the list for fatal and serious injury (FSI) crash rates; none worse than Mount Glorious Tourist Drive* between Mount Glorious and Somerset, north-west of Brisbane.
Out of the 59 FSI crashes on Mount Glorious Tourist Drive between 2019 and 2023, a confronting 92% (54) involved a motorcycle.
Motorcycle rider and RACQ Road Safety and Technical Manager Joel Tucker said it was time for all riders and drivers to take Mount Glorious and other hinterland roads more seriously.
“The data paints a terrifyingly clear picture. Too many motorcycle riders are pushing their limits on hinterland roads and paying severe consequences for it,” Mr Tucker said.
“On Mount Glorious Tourist Drive, 80% of fatal and serious injury motorcycle crashes were single vehicle, 74% were on the weekends, 94% of those were on a curve and 96% were in daylight with clear and dry conditions.
“Hinterland roads are not designed to be used like a racetrack – they're for transport; and while they travel through some spectacular environments and can be a lot of fun to ride, they are often narrow, covered in slippery leaf litter, and lack safety design features.
“There is nothing wrong with enjoying a weekend leisure ride with your mates, but ride to the conditions, don’t get competitive, and don’t break the law because your life matters. Please drop the ego, not the bike.”
RACQ is also calling on the State Government to investigate ways to better enforce speed limits on hinterland roads.
“We believe measures like installing portable point-to-point speed cameras would be effective at reducing crash rates, particularly on hinterland roads, as they would encourage motorists to slow down and keep their speeds at or below the limit over longer distances,” Mr Tucker said.
“If riders or drivers want to go faster than the signed speed limit or push their abilities or their machine to its limits, they need to go to an actual racetrack, not a public road.”
Trauma Surgeon and Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ Queensland Trauma Committee Chair Professor Martin Wullschleger said taking risks on motorcycles can easily lead to devastating consequences.
“When you crash and come off a motorcycle, there is little protecting your body, especially if you are not wearing good safety gear,” Prof Wullschleger said.
“I’ve seen far too many injured motorcyclists, spanning from fatal and life changing brain injuries, to men with shattered pelvises and genitals after their pelvises hit the fuel tanks on initial impact. Others came off second best with shattered arms and legs, sometimes needing multiple reconstructive operations or even amputations.”
motoDNA academy CEO and rider coach Mark McVeigh said overconfidence is often a killer.
The former MotoGP engineer and ex-racer founded rider training organisation motoDNA after losing his best mate in a motorcycle crash 40 years ago.
“It takes around 20 hours of training to get your license versus up to 10,000 hours needed for mastery,” Mr McVeigh said.
“Riders need to have a ‘learn for life’ mindset and embrace training which is not just about machine control skills and road-craft but also the mental approach. I am sure riders who have crashed did not think it would happen to them.
“Rider training, beyond what’s required to get your licence, is a fun and safe way for you and your mates to learn critical skills together in a controlled environment. The skills you learn could save your life.”
Mr McVeigh facilitates on and off-road motorcycle training courses at RACQ’s Mobility Centre to give riders in-depth insights and feedback to correct their techniques and give them skills to be safer riders.
*Analysis of 21,500km of typically high-speed regional State-controlled roads in Queensland. The section of Mount Glorious Tourist Drive analysed by RACQ runs from Mount Glorious to Somerset and is made up of Mount Glorious Rd and Northbrook Pkwy.
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