ACC calls for “greater awareness of motorcyclists”

[Drum]

[url].....I don't like the headline - 'Motorcyclists bleed taxpayer' - when 75% of accidents aren't our fault. Besides, we're taxpayers too!

I tried to email her to have her up about her headline, but the email link doesn't seem to work. Can anyone else get it to work? (see bottom of the Harold article).

[yungatart]

For some reason, that reads like they're saying we shouldn't receive treatment.

It is almost like, we choose to ride therefore it is our own problem if we get hit and hurt..

how rude

Many years ago, my brother came off his trail bike, broke his arm and his leg, sometime later, when he was on his road bike an idiot cager pulled out in front of him, resulting in a broken arm and leg for him again. He had the same orthopaedic surgeon both times. He was told, if you break bones on your bike again, don't come back to this hospital, you aren't welcome! That was in the early 80's, doesn't seem like much has changed.

[Drum]

..........

[Grahameeboy]

Shit you guys are negative.

OK the headline sucks, but did you actually RTFA?

It's talking about how they're launching a new advertising campaign for us, to tell cagers to look more closely for us. They're even pulling stunts like dropping bikes from cranes. This is a good thing you dumb twats.

I agree.....better than no campaign at all........

[Calo]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=51648 suprised the repost police arent out this morn

Oops, I would have been locked up.

[James Deuce]

See here for discussion:

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=51648

[Grahameeboy]

You can all go and get fucked.

I was the Studio Manager of the Advertising Agency approached to create this campaign earlier this year, and approached a number of people on KB and elsewhere to try and get some buy-in from the general motorcycling populace and some consultation in order to get some of our opinions and ideas across.

Response? Apathy and negativity.

You reap what you sow.

Don't complain about how they try and talk to motorcyclists if you don't want to get involved.

At least they know you exist.

Sheesh.

Yep that seems to me the mentality of some KBers these days......anything trying to help is not going to work..

[craigs288]

Everyone should be made to cycle on Auckland roads before being allowed to drive or ride any vehicle.
You think it's bad being a motorcyclist. The only cagers that seem to show any consideration are one's who also ride and cycle.
If I had a dollar for every cager that looked at me on my bicycle and pulled out anyway like I wasn't there, or decided that I can't have been doing 50+km/h and pulled out, I would be rich instead of having my smashed up hip.
When I'm driving my cage, I deliberately impede other cagers at times to create gaps for cyclists and motorcyclists just to keep them safe from the other f$%ckers on the roads.

[craigs288]

I've just been wondering.
Have any of the police officers on here ever had a cager do the big 'I haven't seen you so I am pulling out anyway' on them, either on their own motorcycle, or even on a police bike.
I can't recall any reports of any police bikes t-boning the side of a car.
Maybe it's selective blindness. They have no trouble seeing a police bike due to the massive pile of shit they would be in if they just chose to pull out.
However, average joe biker, look the f%^k out.

[Grahameeboy]

Everyone should be made to cycle on Auckland roads before being allowed to drive or ride any vehicle.
You think it's bad being a motorcyclist. The only cagers that seem to show any consideration are one's who also ride and cycle.
If I had a dollar for every cager that looked at me on my bicycle and pulled out anyway like I wasn't there, or decided that I can't have been doing 50+km/h and pulled out, I would be rich instead of having my smashed up hip.
When I'm driving my cage, I deliberately impede other cagers at times to create gaps for cyclists and motorcyclists just to keep them safe from the other f$%ckers on the roads.

I agree although I see a lot of dumb cylists who seem to be colour blind when it comes to traffic lights.

When I moved to NZ I used to cycle but bought a bike instead because it was just too dodgy.

It is surprising how fast you can travel on a cycle eh...used to cycle to London and was often overtaking traffic..safer than undertaking.

[MSTRS:Me]

I've just been wondering.
Have any of the police officers on here ever had a cager do the big 'I haven't seen you so I am pulling out anyway' on them, either on their own motorcycle, or even on a police bike.
I can't recall any reports of any police bikes t-boning the side of a car.
Maybe it's selective blindness. They have no trouble seeing a police bike due to the massive pile of shit they would be in if they just chose to pull out.
However, average joe biker, look the f%^k out.

Strange you should ask that. YT was having a chat the other day to a traffic cop (on the phone, complaining about being cut up at a particular roundabout by dickheads on a daily basis). They guy said he seldom-to-never sees dodgy manouevres when on his copbike, but when riding as JoePublic.....
He said he would love to target poor driving, but orders is orders

[vifferman]

Well, if "they" decide we have to be more visible, and wear fluoro etc, I'm not.
In all the incidents I've experienced in D'Auckland, I think only two (3) of them were to do with visibility: the first was the one where I was on my VF500 (in Ponsonby) and a scooter was coming from the right and I didn't see it the first time I looked.
That made me aware how easy it is to not see bikes'n'scooters. (I'm glad I saw it the second time!)

The other one (2) were a scooter and a car colliding at an intersection (again in Ponsonby!) where the car's windows were fogged up, and so was the driver's brain.

The last of these two (3) was also a car with fogged-up windows (and driver's brain), and I thought the driver hadn't seen me, and my first instinct was to tootel him non-melodiously, but I didn't, as he acted in a way that I interpreted as him having seen me.
Guess what? It was in Ponsonby!


This morning, nearly at work, I went to turn right. There was a stream of traffic, so I waited in the flush median with my blinker doing the blinking thing.
Finally, there was only one car coming.
Ms Dopey slows down, indicates a left turn, moves to the left, so I start moving. When I'm committed, and on the other side of the road, she changes her mind, turns her confirminator off, pulls out, and starts to accelerate! So, I go to stop (I'm kinda fucked coz I'm right in her path), and she realises she's being a fuckwit, stops, waves her hands in an "I'm so confused! I think I forgot to put my brain in this morning!!" sorta way, and lets me go.

[Cynos]

Motorcyclists bleed taxpayer


And how much are boyracers/obese families etc etc costing?


For some reason, that reads like they're saying we shouldn't receive treatment.


And finally, at the very end of the article, they allocate one sentence that doesn't demonise evil, malevolent motorcyclists. I bet the writer was having a dilemma whether to include this and ruin a perfectly good "motorcyclists = tax thieves" article.

Don't blame the reporter. She doesn't choose the headline. Here's my email sent to her.

I know reporters don't choose the headline, so if you can forward this to whoever did:

In my opinion the headline totally distorts the point of Ms Binning's article, which is "stop driving into motorcyclists please". I'm surprised you couldn't fit references to forming vicious gangs and committing pack rapes into your headline as well.

Can we expect a headline saying "Motorcyclists use less fuel, produce less emissions and create less congestion" anytime soon? I imagine it wouldn't move copy.

I eagerly look forward to your next headlines "Rape victims bleeding ACC" and "Cancer patients rorting Work and Income".

I used to think the Herald was a decent newspaper too, now you're getting as bad as the Fairfax papers.

Better luck next time,

Cynos

[MSTRS:Me]

How about sending a copy to Letter to Editor section - you never know - it could get printed

[Blind spot]

So whats the big deal in wearing a fluoro vest or jacket?
do you think you look like a sissy?
I wear one and don't feel it hinders me in any way, i see a few guy's on my commute to work who wear them and feel we stand out a bit better.
One rider on the greenhithe rd i see every day has a real bright yellow bike and yellow patches on his/her ride gear, stands out like dog's ball and looks pretty cool as well.
I am pleased to see any campaign that makes people aware of looking out for bikes.
Have a nice safe day anyway people.