Daily motorbike news, views & reviews
Tougher penalties for illegal use of mobile phones while driving will be discussed at a three-day Driver Distraction National Summit in Brisbane from Monday (1 July 2019). If penalties are increased, there should be no complaints from motorcyclists. Vulnerable motorcycle and scooter riders have long called for tougher penalties for distracted drivers. They also have …
If you think talking or texting on a mobile phone while driving is dangerous, a new trend of taking selfies has emerged to further endanger riders’ lives. A US study has found more than 15% of drivers say they take selfies while driving. And 5% “go live” while driving, possibly imitating James Corden’s enormously popular Carpool Karaoke. The …
5G phone networks may make autonomous driving and vehicle sensors more sensitive and reliable, but will the faster networks also increase driver distractions? A Spanish automotive company has demonstrated how 5G capability will improve inter-vehicle communication to detect vulnerable road users such as motorcyclists. Ficosa used Barcelona’s 5G network to demonstrate its Bitax telematic platform …
Drivers who illegally use a mobile phone while driving should have their licence suspended as they do in Canada, says the Motorcycle Council of NSW. Chairman Steve Pearce says the use of mobile phones and the addition of other in-car distractions needs “urgent action” by the NSW Government. On September 17, NSW increased the penalty …
Google Maps introduced a two-wheeler mode for motorcycles and scooters for India in December 2017, but it may soon be coming to other countries including Australia. Google Maps currently provides travel routes, navigation and travel time estimates for public transport, bicycles, cars and walking, depending on your device. Google Australia communications manager Kristine Arnott says India …
For those who believe police think there is one rule for them and another for the rest of us comes this video from India of a police motorcycle officer on a mobile phone. When the officer is confronted by the rider videoing the incident, the police officer slaps him. The rider then rides off, concerned …
Quad Lock is one of the latest devices to mount your phone to your motorcycle to use for GPS navigation, communication and music while you ride. It has a simple and effective method of securely locking the phone into place, but also quick and easy removal when you stop as this video shows. The Quad …
Penalties for drivers using handheld mobile phones should be doubled to six demerit points, according to the Motorcycle Council of NSW. The MCCNSW has released a mobile phones position statement which calls for a review of the penalties for drivers using mobile phones as well as an awareness campaign about distracted driving. It calls for …
If you use a mobile phone while riding, or even if you pull over to make a call, you could still be unwittingly breaking the law. Australian Motorcycle Council representative Guy Stanford believes using a mobile phone while riding is dangerous and has stopped using a Bluetooth communicator. But he says the laws about their …
Click to watch video: Motorcycle riders are more aware than most motorists of the dangers of using a mobile phone in traffic. From our higher position in the traffic we see it every day – drivers with the mobile phone in their lap, thinking no one can see them texting or updating their Facebook status. …