Scooter sales have soared from about 1000 in 2001 to more than 10,000 last year. But though most riders are new to two-wheel transport, the law requires only that they wear a helmet.
Rob Smith, the manager of the riders' division at Motorcycling Australia, said scooter riders should be wearing the same safety gear as a motorcycle rider.
"There's an unfortunate mindset that comes with the term scooter," Mr Smith said. "It conjures up thoughts of a toy, something benign. I think of them as automatic motorcycles. Whether you fall off a motorcycle or a scooter at 60km/h, the result is the same. Any time you expose bare skin to the road, the outcome is obvious.
However, Wensley Carroll, a scooter rider and salesman, rejected the suggestion that riders need better protection.
"You ride your bicycle down the road at 60km/h with no brakes, no engine and [a very narrow] tyre on the road only wearing lycra," Mr Carroll said.
"Scooters are not motorcycles. They have less power and they are sitting higher, so riders' reaction times are quicker because they can see further ahead."
Rob Colligan of the Motorcycle Council of NSW said the government could not mandate what scooter riders should wear.
"The issue is, what is the proper protective clothing? What is right in Sydney in winter is not going to be suitable for summer.''
A spokesman for the Australian Medical Association, Dr Brian Owler, said the consequences of falling off while not wearing proper safety clothing were serious.
"At some point there has to be owner onus. You have to assess the risk you are taking."
Source: www.blacktownsun.com.au
No comments:
Post a Comment