new laws??

[irishbiker27]

just wondering did i read correctly last night on RTE that they are trying to change the laws for motorcycles.

firstly, that high viz clothing is a legal requirment.(understandable)
and secondly that any bike older than 7 years wont be allowed into an urban area.

 

[Gizmo]

Incomprehensible!!

just wondering did i read correctly last night on RTE that they are trying to change the laws for motorcycles.

firstly, that high viz clothing is a legal requirment.(understandable)
and secondly that any bike older than 7 years wont be allowed into an urban area.

Understandable
What is understandable about compulsory Hi Viz? There is no research to prove that it will reduce accidents, in fact the RSA proposal is premised on introducing the measure and then seeing if it works.

We already drive with headlights on, what significant contribution will Hi Viz make?

Accident statistics show that the majority of Car/Bike crashes are the result of a car pulling into the track of a motorbike, the famous " sorry I did'nt see you mate" scenario. Yet despite this we propose to punish the victim??? Why not introduce penalty points for car drivers who are found liable for causing such a crash. Then they might look twice, lets at least try and tackle the root cause, not punish the victim.

More pedestrians are injured per year by cars than any other category of road user. Do we see proposals to make everyone wear full hi viz garments for our own good?

Will we see legislation to ban cars over 7 years old

Will the same proposed anti modification rules for bikes be applied to spotty faced youths in tarted up '95 corollas and civics?

Will the same two part test and Compulsory Basic Training be introduced for car drivers?

I think it's pretty clear that these proposals are the bright ideas of a quango of unelected f**kwits who dont have the balls to tackle the real issues relating to road safety and in the best tradition have decided to screw a minority group in order to appear that they are doing something and continue taking the expenses cheque.

 

[dakarDude]

just wondering did i read correctly last night on RTE that they are trying to change the laws for motorcycles.

firstly, that high viz clothing is a legal requirment.(understandable)
and secondly that any bike older than 7 years wont be allowed into an urban area.

The whole lot of this is fecking draconian!! You can't take a s**t these days without some feck telling you you have to do it in a certain way in order to meet some stupid rules!!!!!!! Gaaaawwwwwwwd

 

[B4ndit]

These idiots would be better off sorting out Irelands money problems.

Oh thats difficult. Think I'll just make myself a name introducing an easy law in the guise of elf'n'safety.

About time these Quangos went out and hit some real issues in the face.

As was previously said, Are they going to make pedestrians wear Hi Viz?

 

[polecat]

just wondering did i read correctly last night on RTE that they are trying to change the laws for motorcycles.

firstly, that high viz clothing is a legal requirment.(understandable)
and secondly that any bike older than 7 years wont be allowed into an urban area.

There is nothing about this on the Ministry of Transport website. It would feature in their Press Releases I would have thought ?

 

[socket086]

hi dakardude the shit is already regulated in germammy didnt you figure out the toilet bowls?

 

[ChrisH Kerry]

From what I've read in other places the 7 year rule is a French only thing, not Europe wide. I did see the RTE news on Sunday where there was a short piece about the protest ride in Dublin including a shot of some moron doing a burn-out, just the job - great PR

 

[Gizmo]

RSA and EU

just wondering did i read correctly last night on RTE that they are trying to change the laws for motorcycles.

firstly, that high viz clothing is a legal requirment.(understandable)
and secondly that any bike older than 7 years wont be allowed into an urban area.

It is obvious from this article that the high viz proposal is a domestic RSA initiative and not driven by the EU.

http://www.fema-online.eu/index.php...ail,0&cntnt01articleid=251&cntnt01returnid=15

 

[Ogmios]

arghhhh!
...rumour, false info and media getting it wrong - i am fed up correcting the MISinformation!

http://www.magireland.org/forms/MAG_Ireland_Demo_2011_PressReleaseWeb.pdf

www.magireland.org - see here for Correct info.

..and breathe.

 

[Gizmo]

arghhhh!
...rumour, false info and media getting it wrong - i am fed up correcting the MISinformation!

http://www.magireland.org/forms/MAG_Ireland_Demo_2011_PressReleaseWeb.pdf

www.magireland.org - see here for Correct info.

..and breathe.

Hi Ogmios,

I had a look over the MAG site, nice job.
Are Mag going to put a standard complaint letter up on the website for people to download and sign and forward to the RSA and their TDs and MEPs?
At least all the complaints would stay "on Message".

It might spur people to be proactive and actually do it. You could count the downloads to try and guage if the message is being driven home with our politicians. Alternatively a low download score might help MAG direct it's activities in promoting the follow up to the demonstrations.

It was disappointing to see the six o clock coverage focusing on a burn out, it did not do justice to those who attended and behaved impeccably.

 

[Ogmios]

Hi Ogmios,

I had a look over the MAG site, nice job.

Thank you - our Webmaster is damn good - we are blessed to have him, he's made a massive difference to MAG.

Are Mag going to put a standard complaint letter up on the website for people to download and sign and forward to the RSA and their TDs and MEPs?
At least all the complaints would stay "on Message".


Keep an eye on the MAG site and also www.irishbikerforum.com.
we're getting a lot of good feedback from there and active interested people are taking part. it really helps.
meeting tonight - follow up action will be decided on soon. (we're all worn out at the moment, after this last weekend and the work leading up to it, then the AGM on saturday afternoon )

It might spur people to be proactive and actually do it. You could count the downloads to try and guage if the message is being driven home with our politicians. Alternatively a low download score might help MAG direct it's activities in promoting the follow up to the demonstrations.

yes - the Webmaster is good at seeing who does what and where on the site. we will use it to advantage.

It was disappointing to see the six o clock coverage focusing on a burn out, it did not do justice to those who attended and behaved impeccably.


worse; it is alleged that RTE were the ones that asked for/encouraged said burnout.
overall the media coverage was inaccurate - the better ones (radio and papers) at least phoned Linda for an interview/comment/ info. But our national broadcaster, has historically never had a good thing to say about Bikes, so it was no suprise.

...... Thanks for the kind words. we normally only ever hear what we get wrong.

 

[Gizmo]

http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Vehicles-and-Legislation/Vehicle-Standards/Motorcycles/

Here is an interest clip from the RSA website
"In relation to the rest of the motorcycling population the RSA has provided tens of thousands of high visibility jackets free of charge to motorcyclists, over the last number of years. This has included the provision of jackets (zipped up variety rather than Velcro jackets) at motorcycle shows, through the An Garda Siochana Bike Safe scheme and through the Bike Buyers Guide.

In addition the RSA has circulated close to one million high visibility jackets and arm bands to other vulnerable road users (pedestrians and cyclists) in the last five years.

The RSA is very pleased with the large numbers of vulnerable road users who voluntarily wear such jackets in order to increase their visibility and safety when using the roads."

So if the RSA is "very pleased with the large numbers of vulnerable road users who voluntarily wear such jackets in order to increase their visibility and safety when using the roads." why are they intent on singling out motorcyclists from this cohort of people and insisting on compulsory wearing of Hi Viz.

What about cyclists and Pedestrians?

 

[Corporal Punishment]

7 out of 10 fatal motorcycle accident had the road conditions cited as a major contributary factor. Fix the fkin roads!!!!!

 

[Gizmo]

7 out of 10 fatal motorcycle accident had the road conditions cited as a major contributary factor. Fix the fkin roads!!!!!

Is that information drawn from Garda RTA reports of from insurance claims?

 

[Hairnet600]

how are they gonna bring the no vehicles (bikes) into city areas over 7 years old when the safety of them (mot) isnt taken into account and that

are they ever gonna cotton on that nct for them is a good thing....??

as ever (and not just ireland) arse about face.........

 

[mrsroynie]

how are they gonna bring the no vehicles (bikes) into city areas over 7 years old ......

They're not. This was a purely French proposal which, in my view, is unworkable given the amount of unroadworthy junk currently on French roads, and unlikely to go through anyway. While it is true that there are plans afoot to 'harmonise' certain manufacturing/testing standards across the EU, they probably wont make much difference to the average GS rider : http://www.righttoride.eu/regulationdocuments/WheatfromtheChaff100911.pdf

 

[Firefox]

Good man Og

I know you and the other MAG guys don't hear it enough. couldnt make the ride on Sunday as I was working. Strangely I had to attend Balbriggan safety week, where the RSA had their Audi A6 that they strap people into and turn upside down to try make them drive more safely
Not boy racer in sight. Surprise!!

In relation to the Hi-Vis, it's not RSA it's EU and at least one of our Fine Gael muppet MEPs on Matt Coopers show on Monday is in favour ("I used to ride bikes myself").

I read in MCN (Sept 7, p35) that the UK has e-petitions where if 100,000 people sign up, the issue gets discussed in Parliament. Anything similar here? Something to investigate Og?

Keep up the good work Og and join up with MAG the rest of you if you havent already.

 

[Ogmios]

I read in MCN (Sept 7, p35) that the UK has e-petitions where if 100,000 people sign up, the issue gets discussed in Parliament. Anything similar here? Something to investigate Og?

Keep up the good work Og and join up with MAG the rest of you if you havent already.

petition;

http://www.magireland.org/forms/Demo-Petition.pdf

general info on the front page ( www.magireland.org) - navigate from there.

it's simple and blunt. Linda will be going to meetings in Brussels in about 3 weeks and sticking them... i mean handing them over in person.
She will be meeting face to face with the Irish Govt. rep. and explaining why our feelings run so deep on these matters.
polite aint i?

Thank you for the kind words - it is at times exhausting and hard to keep up the work when many only see what we haven't done and not what we have done.

 

[Gizmo]

Stand Up and be Counted

In relation to the Hi-Vis, it's not RSA it's EU and at least one of our Fine Gael muppet MEPs on Matt Coopers show on Monday is in favour ("I used to ride bikes myself").

Unfortunately for us HI Viz is an RSA Irish Proposal and not contained in the EU proposals. Our local muppets are behind this particular saga.

Here is an extract from FEMA website in repect of the EU proposed legislation ;"Among its "clarifications", the Commission asked the Parliament and the Council to keep their changes, in the form of amendments, within the scope of the regulation - type-approval and market surveillance. In particular, the European executive asked not to include irrelevant topics such as protective clothing, licencing and training, periodical technical inspections, or day-glo clothing for riders.
( Bold type and italics mine)
Full article here
http://www.fema-online.eu/index.php...ail,0&cntnt01articleid=251&cntnt01returnid=15

See also Section 4.4.5 of
http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Road Safety/Motorcycles/National_Motorcycle_Action_Plan.pdf

and last paragraph of
http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Vehicles-and-Legislation/Vehicle-Standards/Motorcycles/

and last but not least top right corner
http://www.magireland.org/membership/

It is time to bombard our own TDs with e mails detailing our objections to compulsory hi viz clothing requirements. Find your target here
http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=30&disp=const

The EU proposals currently under consideration are not concerned with hi viz, rather with type approval, mandatory ABS and restricting your right to "bling" up your bike or alter the powertrain e.g fit a K&N filter and a nice end can.

Complain to your MEP about the EU proposals, find your target here;

http://www.europarl.ie/view/en/irish_meps.html


Get Busy and make your voices heard. Copy and paste the links into an e mail to all your biker buddies and lets stand up for our rights. We have rolled over for the Bankers, lets not do it again and lose what little pleasure there is left in this wrecked Republic.

Lets support this man in his efforts

 

[MikeP]

Unfortunately for us HI Viz is an RSA Irish Proposal and not contained in the EU proposals. Our local muppets are behind this particular saga.

It is time to bombard our own TDs with e mails detailing our objections to compulsory hi viz clothing requirements. Find your target here
http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=30&disp=const

If it isn't already done, may I humbly suggest that someone produces a proforma e-mail to avoid people possibly alienating those being lobbied?

Ideally it should set-out the practical reasons why mandatory Hi-Viz is a non-starter: The difficulty of policing such a requirement ie who is going to be qualified to measure the conspicuity of the garment at the roadside? What allowances will have to be made for wear, tear and the inevitable loss of conspicuity caused by road grime and weather in normal use? Then there is the question whether there exists any quantifiable evidence that Hi-Viz clothing for PTW-users reduces injury and deaths caused by other road users (and the fact that Hi-Viz doesn't impact upon the behaviour of the rider, which is a key factor in PTW collisions)? Clearly (no pun intended), it would be self-defeating to argue that not wanting to be seen is the point but it needs to be stressed time and time again that the onus is as much upon other road users to be aware as it is upon the motorcyclist to increase awareness.

and restricting your right to "bling" up your bike or alter the powertrain e.g fit a K&N filter and a nice end can.

No it isn't. It's about trying to prevent those bikes that have restricted power (to match licence entitlements) from being modified into ones that mean the rider isn't licensed (or possibly insured).

There is no reasonable argument against the proposals except that it is already an offence to alter the power-output of licence category restricted machines, that it occurs despite the current laws and that it rarely comes to notice until after an incident involving serious injury or death is the only logical argument and should be stressed.