Bay of Plenty motorcyclists will soon see a change to the graduated motorcycle licensing system.
The changes that come into effect on November 1 are to ensure novice motorcyclists are better prepared to drive safely on the road.
A 42-year-old motorcyclist was injured in a crash on SH2 on Thursday.
Tauranga MP and Associate Transport Minister Simon Bridges says motorcyclists are 20 times more to die or suffer serious injuries on the road than car drivers in the same distance travelled.
'Increasing and improving motorcycle safety is a priority area in the Government's Safer Journeys strategy.”
From October 1 a power-to-weight restriction for novice motorcycle riders will replace the current cc limit for novices, which Simon says is no longer adequate for the range of high-powered, but low cc, motorcycles on the market.
All motorcyclists, regardless of age, will be subject to the same minimum time requirements at the restricted licence stage.
Currently, riders aged more than 25-years-old have a shorter time requirement on the restricted licence before they can progress to a full licence.
Motorcyclists will no longer be able to reduce the time of their restricted licence by taking an approved driving course such as Defensive Driving.
From November 1 the basic handling skills test to ensure riders have a higher level of basic skills required to ride on the road will be strengthened.
In addition, NZTA expects to introduce a new competency-based training and assessment option for novice motorcyclists in late 2013, as an alternative path through the licensing stages.
'In the past ten years 370 motorcyclists have been killed and more than 10,000 have been injured on New Zealand roads and annual motorcycle casualties have increased by 58 per cent,” says Simon.
'These measures, in addition to those introduced last year, will help motorcyclists begin their riding careers safely.”
Meanwhile, a 42-year-old motorcyclist is recovering in Tauranga Hospital after being hit by a car on State Highway 2, south of Katikati, on Thursday.
3 comments
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Posted on 14-09-2012 16:09 | By bonner
is this only for Bay of Plenty motorcyclists or what
same for cars
Posted on 14-09-2012 17:44 | By hapukafin
these same rules should also apply to new drivers of cars,or be restricted to under 1500cc unmodified.comeon Simon dont do half a job if you want to reduce driving fatalities.
All gas
Posted on 15-09-2012 08:26 | By Yikes
Dude, its actually about the high price of fuel and our lousy roads. The price of gas and no one can afford to run their car, people forced to riding motorbikes to work. Couple that with the incredibly garbage roads we have in this country,
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