AA AND THE RADIO NETWORK ARE ANTI-BIKE

[Karma]

I wonder if this true when you add in the extra time in commuting = more fuel consumed? Also the extra time waisted as well surely that needs to be added into the equation as well.

This is true, how much time, and therefore fuel can be saved by lanesplitting through a line of traffic at the lights? I live out in Kohi in Auckland, and although I don't have my bike yet, I'd bet I could easily shave 15minutes off my travelling time just by lanesplitting around mission bay with their traffic lights that hold you forever.

Surely another factor they havn't considered is congestion. Bike parking is free and there's a fair amount of it... you can easily fit four bikes into the same space a 4x4 takes up, so why are the government not promoting it more? Perhaps there's not enough money in parking tickets for bikes?

[crshbndct]

*bike are a cost effective, cheap, efficient, better way to handle traffic woes.
*but there is less revenue to be made from them - lower fuel use = lower taxation
*traffic congestion makes the petrol companies (and in turn the government) more money
*vote national

[Ixion]

The AA have always been very anti-motorcyclist (well, for many years anyway). It is because the AA is run by tired grey old men . Have a look at their magazine, it's full of ads for mobility scooters, and old age pensioner holidays and such.

They are against sports cars too (big gas guzzling Holdens are OK though).

As for the figures, Li'l Ratty gets 90mpg. Show me the cage that'll do that .

And the treadley figure is boviously nonsense, because there are no figures for how many bikes there are ON THE ROAD. Most pushbikes don't get used, people buy them and they sit in the garage. How many people here have a grage full of unused treadlys?

In the nature of things how can push bikes be safer than motorbikes, assuming they're ridden on the road (as the law requires) . They have no more protection, their brakes are puny, they can't accelerate out of danger, they are even less visible than motorcycles.

I suspect the spokesperson is a fitness nazi.

[Karma]

The thing is that it's not a fair test, they are not comparing like for like.

Their logic is that a bicycle is safer because of the relatively lower speeds at which it travels, but they then don't factor in that it's on the road for longer.

Assume a 100km journey, a motorbike will do it in 1-2 hours dependant on speed limits, whereas I doubt any bicycle could do it in less then 4-5 hours.

[gamgee]

you're all preaching to the converted on here, why not get out onto for example the trademe general messageboard and try and convert some of those idiots, good luck tho, i've found most of them are 4wd soccer mums, so don't really go near it now, would love to see it tho

[eliot-ness]

2 wheel accident rates have fallen in London since congestion charging sent scooter sales through the roof.
Perhaps through more bikes making more people aware of them.
And note the selective use of examples, eg. "large" motorcycles. Commuters use little bikes.

On a recent TV one news interview the point was put that scooter sales in NZ were up by 60 to 70%. Two scooter riding girls were interviewed. Both said the scooters were fun to ride, dirt cheap to run and got them to work in half the time. To balance the interview they had an 'expert' possibly AA.
His comment was. "You have to realise these things are highly dangerous. In an accident it's very likely you will be seriously injured" Wonder if he'd ever ridden on two wheels?? The AA in NZ is the same as in the UK. No interest in bikes whatsoever. Over there the RAC used to look after Bikers interests.

[Patrick]

.....In the nature of things how can push bikes be safer than motorbikes, assuming they're ridden on the road (as the law requires) . They have no more protection, their brakes are puny, they can't accelerate out of danger, they are even less visible than motorcycles.

I suspect the spokesperson is a fitness nazi.

Quite right...got sick of pushbikes because cars didn't see me and had some offs...definitely not safer. Went to motorbikes but in AK it wasn't much better..different story now though in Taranaki, rode to Palmy a few weeks ago, Wanganui last week...great roads, great rides and all just out the back door...don't have to go too far to get a good outing...quiet country straights, highways likewise...good twisters too...depends what you like, but best of all, not much traffic/cars!!!!

[clint640]

That "10x safer" has got to be bollocks no matter how you spin it. I remember being further annoyed at our high rego charges recently when I learnt that pushbike accidents cost ACC more than MC ones, as with motorbikes most of these are caused by cars of course.

There's nowt wrong with a treadly for short trips though. The brakes are definitely not puny on any well maintained treadly, I'm pretty sure mine would pull up almost as quick as my KTM. I wouldn't insult my 640 by starting it up to go the 2.7km to work.

Cheers
Clint

[Smoggie]

Have phoned the station manager, who was very apologetic, and defensive, stating that the quote was from the NZ Herald, and could not get the name of the source from the AA.
We could just ban cars!

[Damon]

What a load of crap! Almost all the accidents I've had involved some idiot in a cage, if the retards we're on bikes then they wouldn't have happened, motorcycle are only "more dangerous" because of the ignorant cagers around them, it's like a moving mine field.

As for pushbikes, perhaps if they put a cycle lane on the harbour bridge or next to the motorway I might think about it, but that would probably throw their fatality stats through the roof, other wise it'll take me days to go from south Auckland through west to get to my job on the shore.

This AA guy sounds like another reason to introduce IQ testing as a part of job interviews, "oh I’m sorry, your score of 46 doesn't quite make our minimum level to pump gas for us"

[Lou Girardin]

Have phoned the station manager, who was very apologetic, and defensive, stating that the quote was from the NZ Herald, and could not get the name of the source from the AA.
We could just ban cars!

This is modern electronic news gathering - read the Herald on-line then broadcast it.

[Damon]

NZ Herald letters to the editor http://www.nzherald.co.nz/info/letters/

lets reallly get together on this one folks .. we have the numbers.. lets use them

Thanks for this Sarge, i've sent in my letter, it would be good to see if we get a reply or if any of us actualy make it into the paper?

[outlawtorn]

After all has been said and done, shouldn't BRONZ be out there fighting for our rights and keeping our name good? I know BRONZ have a bit of a bad rep, but we should call on them more often OR they should be more proactive in responsing to shit like this.

They are going to have an AGM in October, let's get our questions/demands in to them and make them work for us.

Yes/No/Maybe.........?

[James Deuce]

After all has been said and done, shouldn't BRONZ be out there fighting for our rights and keeping our name good? I know BRONZ have a bit of a bad rep, but we should call on them more often OR they should be more proactive in responsing to shit like this.

They are going to have an AGM in October, let's get our questions/demands in to them and make them work for us.

Yes/No/Maybe.........?

The "Yes/No/Maybe" bit is indicative of why BRONZ doesn't work. Democracy only happens while an election is in process. After that you put up with what you asked for. The "Consultative Process" is merely an extension of indecision by committe, but on a broader scale.

Damn right they should have had a press release out by now. Damn right BRONZ memebers should be asking where it is.

[Big Dave]

What a lot of knickers in a twist for what was not an unreasonable statement.

I agree with them - If you have never ridden a motorcycle and are planning on getting one purely for fuel costs savings then you *should* consider that it is fucking dangerous.

Look at all the hand wringing that goes on in here every time someone has an off.

And what does AA stand for BTW - is it AUTOMOBILE Association?