A strategic approach to motorcycle road safety - two years on

In 2001 the MAA of NSW funded the development of a Road Safety Strategic Plan for the Motorcycle Council of NSW (MCC). This was a unique experiment in supporting a road user group to apply strategic planning methods to address their own road safety issues. The project was timely as motorcycle casualty rates in Australia were rising, but there was little agreement as to causes or solutions. This paper describes the benefits of the development process and an account of the subsequent implementation of the plan. It is apparent that the process was at least as important as the final product – the strategic plan. While the MCC had an established track record as an effective lobby group at the political level, they were not previously recognised as a key stakeholder by the various road safety agencies. The process enabled members of the MCC to develop a better understanding of how road safety is delivered in NSW including the relationships between the key agencies and their roles. As a result they are a more informed and effective lobby group and are recognised as the peak body representing motorcyclists in the State. The outcome has been to establish more productive relationships between other road safety stakeholders and the motorcycling community. Two years since the process began there is an impressive list of achievements, which may be linked either directly or indirectly to the strategic plan. These include research projects into motorcycle fatigue and protective clothing, a motorcycle road safety web site, the first state funded motorcycle safety advertising campaign, community based motorcycle safety projects with some 15 local councils, and the incorporation of motorcycle safety issues into the road safety strategy plans of many local councils. Demand for copies of the strategic plan nationally and internationally have far exceeded expectations, over 5,000 have been downloaded from the internet.