This post will be major flame-bait, but I have to ask: What is it bikers are actually (honestly) upset about??
If anyone feels a need to post abusive mind-numbing answers, don't bother wasting the pixels. If you're not even going to read the whole post, you're not qualified to post an opinion on it. But if you can provide intelligent, reasoned information I would like to hear it.
I don't have access to original data and sources, but from what I have observed / heard, it seems that motorcyclists are upset at the increase in levies they have to pay.
Summarising the information coming through the media so far
* a disproportionate amount of ACC payments go to motorcycle riders, due to more serious injuries and possibly more frequent injury accidents
* currently, other vehicle owners are subsidising motorcyclists
* even with the proposed increases, motorcycle owners will still be contributing less to the ACC fund than they will be receiving in payments
* the levies have to be increased in order to be able to cover projected payments
Have I left anything out?
On the assumption that the above statements are true, it would imply that the protests are actually about bikers having the attitude that being carried by the system is the natural order, and don't want to have to pay their own way.
I see lots of mention on this site of how bikers are being unfairly targeted or even "victimised" (NB incorrectly spelt with a 'z' a la American on the web page), but this comes across as a spoilt child stamping its feet and crying that it doesn't want to do its chores.
If you want to appeal to the thinking public, I'd suggest coming up with reasons why you believe bikers are being unfairly treated. Provide some information. Give some statistics. And the note about ACC reserves being higher now than ever has little significance. It's not about how high they are in comparison with history, but how they compare to projected expenses.
Here is what I would like to find out if anyone has a source of information:
* the average annual ACC payment to people injured in motorcycle accidents vs car accidents
* some statistics relating payouts to engine rating I imagine moped riders can be hurt as easily as big bike riders
* information on the proportion of accidents involving motorcycles where the fault was with the rider (premiums should be charged to those responsible for the accidents, rather than the victims).
It makes sense that the highest levy should be paid by the people who are most likely to cause a claim. As an alternative option, perhaps the levy should be not on vehicles but on the drivers. Perhaps the levy could take into consideration the level of demerit points the owner has at time of vehicle licensing. After all, there should be some relationship between the risks a driver / rider takes and the number of times they have been caught.
If you want to put a good case to government, do it by providing something that the public can agree with and not by trying to inconvenience as many people as you can just because you're not getting your way. Remember: riding a motorcycle is a choice you made. It's not a right and it's not something which was forced upon you.
In case it makes any difference to the validity of my opinion, I have never owned a car. My main forms of transport are motorcycle (750 & 1000cc) and bicycle. My training is as an actuary, I pay my taxes, don't pirate music or software, and even though I've never made an ACC claim, I am happy to pay $700 per year if it is shown to be a fair amount.
And from personal observation, many (not all) people I've observed who ride big bikes ride like idiots. They dress themselves up in leather to feel safe, but split lanes on the motorway, overtake on blind corners, speed like the law doesn't apply to them, and just act as though they are above the laws of physics. I can understand why the government would be wanting that whole category to contribute more to the system that will likely be supporting them in the future.
So, flame away if you must. But try to justify your comments with a sign that you've put some thought into it and appear to be more than an upset child.
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Originally Posted by Reflex
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