Completed projects

Recently completed projects

Inner Melbourne Motorcycle Safety Plan

The study identified a suite of interventions designed to reduce motorcycle fatal and serious injury crashes in inner Melbourne and make Melbourne's inner-urban roads safer for motorcyclists. It included a detailed crash data analysis, literature review, stakeholder workshops and a final report identifying opportunities to enhance motorcycle safety outcomes in inner Melbourne.

Cost: $105,000
End date: May 2024

Heidelberg-Kinglake Road motorcycle route safety improvements

Heidelberg-Kinglake Road is in St Andrews and is a popular motorcycle touring route. The project delivered improved safety conditions for motorcyclists through various works, including the asphalting of driveways and side road entrances, sealing of shoulders at high-risk locations, installation of rub rail protection and upgrading safety barriers with motorcycle friendly treatments.

Cost: $561,000
End Date: November 2023

Making Roads Motorcycle Friendly Guide (2022)

The Making Roads Motorcycle Friendly Guide provides guidance on designing and maintaining roads so that road designers and maintenance crews better consider the safety needs of motorcyclists. The guide provides up-to-date advice to practitioners and industry professionals on how to improve the safety of motorcycle riders.

Included in the guide are examples of different road designs and safety treatments that can be applied to make our transport network motorcycle friendly. The guide includes links to a supplementary video library which provides further insights into the material. This guide helps those who design, build, and maintain roads to make evidence-based decisions so that safer roads are created for motorcycle riders.

Cost: $125,000
End Date: June 2023

On-road abrasion testing of motorcycle protective clothing

Soft tissue injury from abrasion is the most common injury sustained in motorcycle crashes. In Victoria, protective clothing is assessed against European standards for abrasion resistance, but to date, those standards have not been validated against the abrasive characteristics of different road surfaces on our network.

This project undertook impact abrasion resistance testing of motorcycle clothing materials on a variety of road surfaces which can be found in metropolitan and regional settings in Victoria.

The results from this testing provided road and garment designers with an understanding of what influence a road surface has on abrasion severity. Results were disseminated widely through the road, scientific and clothing manufacturing community to improve rider safety.

Cost: $100,000
Start Date: 2020
End Date: 2023

Manufacturers Guide for Motorcycle Protective Clothing (MotoCAP)

The objectives of this project were to improve the quality of motorcycle protective jackets and pants available to Australian riders by providing scientifically based guidance to manufacturers of motorcycle protective clothing.

Evidence from research and MotoCAP testing shows a substantial proportion of the personal protective equipment (PPE) garments currently available on the market are not designed for optimal safety or made from materials that provide sufficient protection to motorcyclists in the event of a crash.

This project produced a guide that was developed in consultation with industry and aimed at improving rider safety.

The guide can be accessed on the MotoCAP website.

Cost: $120,000
Start Date: 2020
End Date: 2023

Past projects

Upper Murray Region motorcycle route safety improvements

The Upper Murray region in Towong Shire Council is popular with recreational and touring motorcycle riders.

Through a $3.5 million investment, a range of safety treatments were delivered within the Upper Murray region to provide consistent and predictable riding experiences while reducing rider risks associated with the road environment.

These works included road sealing at driveways and intersections, installation of rub rails to protect motorcyclists, reviewing advisory speed limits, and improving road signage to warn motorcyclists of high-risk locations.

The three motorcycle safety improvements routes treated under this initiative were:

• Murray Valley Highway between Wodonga (Victoria) and the New South Wales border (Towong Shire)
  • Cost: $1.7 million
  • Length: 135km
  • Start Date: 2021
  • End Date: 2022
• Murray River Road between Lake Hume village and the intersection with Murray Valley Highway, Corryong (Towong Shire)
  • Cost: $1.25 million 
  • Length: 140km
  • Start Date: 2021
  • End Date: 2022
• Shelley Walwa Road between the townships of Walwa and Shelley (Towong Shire)
  • Cost: $547,000
  • Length: 32km
  • Start Date: 2021
  • End Date: 2022

Forrest Apollo Bay Road between Forrest and Skenes Creek (Colac-Otway Shire)

This route is located within Barwon South West region and is a popular motorcycle touring route.

Between June 2014 and June 2019, there were a total of 11 motorcycle crashes along this stretch of road, six of which resulted in serious injury.

This project sought to reduce motorcycle trauma severity through the addition of rub-rails at high-risk curves.

Cost: $551,000
Length: 32km
Start Date: 2020
End Date: 2022

Road Safety Program

The Victorian and Australian Governments invested $14.4 million across seven high-risk motorcycle routes across Victoria as part of the $300 million Road Safety Program.

These projects were delivered in 2021.

Key information:

• Yarra Junction-Noojee Road (Baw Baw Shire and Yarra Ranges Shire)
  • Cost: $1.5 million ($300,000 MSL contribution)
  • Treatments included: bell-mouth sealing, curve warning signage for high-risk bends, rub-rail installation and targeted resurfacing.
• Mallacoota Road (East Gippsland Shire) 
  • Cost: $2.7 million ($540,000 MSL contribution)
  • Treatments included: bell mouth sealing, curve warning signage for high-risk bends, shoulder sealing on the inside of high-risk bends.
• Lang Lang-Poowong Road (South Gippsland Shire) 
  • Cost: $1.5 million ($300,000 MSL contribution)
  • Treatments included: bell-mouth sealing, curve warning signage for high-risk bends, rub-rail installation and targeted resurfacing.
• Forrest–Apollo Bay Road and Skenes Creek Road (Colac-Otway Shire)
  • Cost: $3.15 million ($630,000 MSL contribution)
  • Treatments included: bell-mouth sealing, curve warning signage for high-risk bends and rub-rail installation.
• Meeniyan Mirboo North Road (South Gippsland Shire) 
  • Cost: $1.2 million ($240,000 MSL contribution)
  • Treatments included: bell-mouth sealing, curve warning signage for high-risk bends and rub-rail installation.
• Wilsons Promontory Road (South Gippsland Shire)
  • Cost: $3 million ($600,000 MSL contribution)
  • Treatments included: bell-mouth sealing, curve warning signage for high-risk bends, improved delineation and rub rail installation. 
• Great Alpine Road (East Gippsland Shire) 
  • Cost: $1.39 million ($277,200 MSL contribution)
  • Treatments included: bell-mouth sealing, curve warning signage for high-risk bends, improved delineation, and shoulder sealing on the inside of high-risk bends. 

Colac Lavers Hill Road motorcycle route safety improvements between Kawarren and Carlisle River (Colac-Otway Shire)

This route is located within Barwon South West region and is a popular motorcycle touring route.

The project aimed to reduce motorcycle trauma severity through the addition of rub-rails at high-risk curves.

Cost: $400,000
Length: 9km
Start Date: 2020
End Date: 2021

Vulnerable Road User (VRU) Detection Trial, Stage 2 - Business Case and Study Design

This stage of the project built on the investigation and trial of technology to help reduce head-on collisions with other motorists by priming them to increase awareness and perception of motorcyclists.

In October 2018, a demonstration of LiDAR technology was successfully completed on the Yarra Boulevard, demonstrating that the technology and vulnerable road user recognition software can identify motorcycles and bikes on the same side of the road.

Stage 2 of the project involved the development of a business case and study design that could be used to procure subsequent stages of the project. This included consideration of procurement approaches, delivery models and an evaluation framework. If funded, future stages of this project would implement the trial with the aim of demonstrating that technology can help manage high-risk sections, target messages to other motorists to alert them of up-coming vulnerable road users, thereby increasing awareness of motorcyclists.

Cost: $60,000
Start Date: 2020
End Date: 2021

Analysis of Advanced Rider Training Programs

This research project included interviews with Australian and international accredited licensing and training organisations, as well as a review of research on advanced and post-licence motorcycle training schemes.

The project found that subsidies may not incentivise riders to undertake rider training and that engagement is essential to influence rider safety choices.

Cost: $44,000
Start Date: 2020
End Date: 2020