motohazard.com

**ChrisMcC** · 4th February 2013, 08:33

Hey team,
I’m working for a start- up company in Wellington (thundermaps). Part of the service we provide is informing bikers of hazards on New Zealand roads and inproving biker safety. Take a look and post some feedback if you think this is a useful service. Developments still to come.

www.motohazard.com

Cheers

**ChrisMcC** · 4th February 2013, 12:20

I'm part of a software start-up (we do mobile alert mapping) and we are putting together a method for users to report the location of motorcycle hazards: http://motohazard.com/
We are currently developing/designing and the release is due in two weeks (still a few design/user improvements to come).
Your feedback would be much appreciated. Take a look around www.motohazard.com and send some feedback.

Best regards
ChrisMcC

**Bounce001** · 4th February 2013, 16:12

Great idea and looks ok. Perhaps sorting the reports into regoins would be good so you don't have to wade through everything to find out road conditions where you are/going

**Hitcher** · 4th February 2013, 16:42

How is this going to work?

**Madness** · 4th February 2013, 16:50

I hope the potholes on the website are there for example only. Who the fuck is going to go online & check their intended route for pothles, wether they be severe or moderate. Even if some Twat does go online to check, there's every chance they'll have target-fixation while approaching said pothole & hit a tree or summat.

Now, if the site sent txts alerting bikers of laser-weilding snakes hiding in the bushes...

**Hitcher** · 4th February 2013, 17:03

This is not going to be much use to anybody at all. I have no idea who the target audience for such a tool could be. Nobody's going to pay for it.

NZTA have proven that they have no interest in road standards -- as a trip up the centre of the North Island will reveal. Neither does Wellington City Council, which loves resealing perfectly serviceable hot mix with coarse chip that either gets rolled off after a few days or is transformed by a bit of warm weather into a blacktop boil over.

Local councils have little money to invest on repairs. Cowshit will wash off after a couple of days. Diesel spills are actively encouraged by vehicle inspectors and by the Police.

Bikers often have no set route in mind before they head out and the last thing they'll do before leaving home is go online and wait and see how bit the potholes are on Reservoir Road. Tried operating a smart phone while you're riding?

Most people don't know where they are when they're out anyway, what the name of the road they're on is or how far it is from any particular landmark. Even emergency services can't get that one right.

Good luck with this. Try and sell some advertising on it. Nobody's going to use it.

**ChrisMcC** · 5th February 2013, 08:47

We are developing push notifications (email is there now, text is coming).
It's not just for potholes - general bike hazards should be marked so that pressure can be put on bureaucrats.
You will get alerts on the move, or when you stop to refill. Everything is basic now, but we are working on it.

We have accessed the NZTA's crash and hazard data as well - when there's a crash, hazard etc they collect that information in real time. These warnings are available as warnings in your area of interest from the platform (www.thundermaps.com).

**ChrisMcC** · 5th February 2013, 09:27

I'm part of a software start-up (we do mobile alert mapping) and we are putting together a method for users to report the location of motorcycle hazards: http://motohazard.com/
We are currently developing/designing and the release is due in two weeks (still a few design/user improvements to come).
Your feedback would be much appreciated. Take a look around www.motohazard.com and send some feedback.

Best regards
ChrisMcC

**caspernz** · 5th February 2013, 10:38

Hitcher summed it up. No use to bikers. If a rider can't use their own eyes they should be driving a car...or on the bus...

**The Big J** · 5th February 2013, 16:34

Good luck with this. Try and sell some advertising on it. Nobody's going to use it.

Thanks for the warm wishes.

I work with Chris so had a look at feedback on the thread. Part of the reason for Motohazard is trying to assess what would be useful. The concept is one of receiving alerts where a hazard is reported in an area you care about.

What service do you think bikers could use to notify them? We would love you all to be using your mobile while riding and be as distracted as a typical car driver.

Future work could classify the types of reports you get notified on (i.e. currently LTNZ traffic alerts are there but you can't choose you don't care about potholes but do car about diesel spills).
Also reports automatically log the location of the hazard so once signed up it should be simple to log issues.
It might be useful to gather recurring issues on a stretch of road such as Tamaki Drive.

Anyway, I'd be interested in thoughts that you might care about, but thanks for kicking the tires.

**Howie** · 5th February 2013, 17:18

Originally Posted by The Big J

Thanks for the warm wishes.

I work with Chris so had a look at feedback on the thread. Part of the reason for Motohazard is trying to assess what would be useful. The concept is one of receiving alerts where a hazard is reported in an area you care about.

What service do you think bikers could use to notify them? We would love you all to be using your mobile while riding and be as distracted as a typical car driver.

Future work could classify the types of reports you get notified on (i.e. currently LTNZ traffic alerts are there but you can't choose you don't care about potholes but do car about diesel spills).
Also reports automatically log the location of the hazard so once signed up it should be simple to log issues.
It might be useful to gather recurring issues on a stretch of road such as Tamaki Drive.

Anyway, I'd be interested in thoughts that you might care about, but thanks for kicking the tires.

MY mobile like probably at least 80% of motorcyclists is either in a pocket or bag when I'm riding. The other problem I see with any text messaging system is that most of the riding I do takes me well out of cell phone range.

As to pre planning a route, I tend to make the route up as I go, so pre planning on the net has no use to me

most bike riders who have a bit of experience can both see, and smell diesel spills when they come across them.

in saying that the site may have some merits in highlighting the numerous hazards and poor state of our roading system to the NZTA, but somehow I doubt it will increase the amount of notice they take.

**The Big J** · 10th February 2013, 19:28

MY mobile like probably at least 80% of motorcyclists is either in a pocket or bag when I'm riding. The other problem I see with any text messaging system is that most of the riding I do takes me well out of cell phone range.
...
in saying that the site may have some merits in highlighting the numerous hazards and poor state of our roading system to the NZTA, but somehow I doubt it will increase the amount of notice they take.

Just wanted to take a moment and say thanks for the reply. Obviously the phone when you are on the bike is staying in your pocket. I haven't been riding for a couple of years but I can imagine getting in the habit to check there are no crashes in the area before I leave. I also am not a 'planner' but would think a general check say, of the whole Wellington region would be useful when I'm thinking about the Wairarapa vs back country lanes routes.

Happy riding