Northern Beaches News and Notices This page sponsored by Motorcycle Weaponry

The winners of the Observation Ride, held on a rainy Sunday (19 August 2007) were.....
Margaret Hogge and John Hutchison. Click here to view all the results.

We've had this safety warning from Phil Hall of the Illawarra Riders.

Subject: Road Safety Warning, Macquarie Pass, NSW.Greetings. I am writing to you to bring to your attention, and to the attention of your readers, an increasingly dangerous situation regarding Macquarie Pass, west of Wollongong, in NSW.
Lately local riders have been encountering an increasing incidence of diesel spills on The Pass that have caused a number of accidents and threaten to cause many more.
Just this week alone, 21st to 27th May, there have been 4 accidents on Macquarie Pass and at least two of these we know to be directly attributable to diesel which has been spilt on the road.
One involved myself and, while I was not injured due to low speed and good protective gear, it resulted in my much-loved red VFR750 being written off.
Another rider also wrote off a near-new Z1000 last Saturday night.
Today, while a group of Illawarra riders were coming down the Pass, the lead rider hit a diesel spill and was only able to save the bike through a combination of skill and good management. The rider has an injured foot and hip after being thrown off the bike and dragged along beside it, before remounting and stopping the bike.
Those of us that ride the road regularly have noted a dramatic increase in the incidence and intensity of these diesel siplls and we know that it only a matter of time before a rider is either killed or ends up in a wheelchair for the rest of their life because of these appallingly dangerous riding conditions.
Illawarra Riders has been liaising with the MCC of NSW, the local branch of the RTA and the Macquarie Pass Safety Group to try and improve conditions for motorcyclists on the Pass. We are encouraging safe riding practices and better education for riders who are not familiar with the local conditions.
However, all of this is going to go for naught if we are unable to persuade the Heavy Vehicle Industry that they have to take responsibility for the constant endangering of motorcyclists' s lives on Macquarie Pass.
Until such time as that occurs we are issuing this email as a general caution to all riders riding in the Illawarra area to take even more care than usual on Macquarie Pass and to be aware that it is, at present, a very dangerous piece of road for motorcyclists.
Further, we advise any motorcyclist who sees a diesel or oil spill on the Pass to stop, to call 000 and report it to the local RFS who are required to attend the scene and make the location safe.
Macquarie Pass is a favourite motorcycling road, It is presently grossly unsafe. Please be careful when riding it.

Phil Hall
Moderator Illawarra Rider.

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