Only one in 20 Qld vehicles are motorcycles. Yet they account for one-third of fatalities

One-third of motorists killed on Queensland roads in the first four months of 2024 were motorcyclists, despite only a small fraction of road users travelling on two wheels.

Between January and April, 94 people died in crashes on Queensland roads. Of those, 31 were motorcyclists – a 46.2 per cent increase from the previous five-year average.

Those stark figures have prompted the RACQ, Queensland’s peak motorists’ body, to urge motorcyclists to “drop the ego, not the bike” in a new safety push to be launched on Tuesday.

“Riders account for 33 per cent of the growing road toll, yet motorcycles make up around 4 per cent of vehicles in Queensland. Motorcyclists are dying at disproportionate rates,” RACQ road safety manager Joel Tucker said.

“We estimate around 280,000 RACQ members ride motorcycles, and most would agree it’s a fun and cost-effective way to get around, but it’s a riskier mode of transport than a car.

“We are less protected on a bike, and we know it, so we need to avoid doing things that further increase that risk such as not riding to the traffic or road conditions and not riding within our skill level.”

During an Easter road safety blitz last month, Acting Assistant Commissioner Andrew Pilotto, from the Queensland Police Service’s road policing and regional support command, said motorcyclists continued to be “over-represented” in the state’s road toll.

“I implore you as a motorcycle rider, or a partner, friend or loved one of a motorcycle rider, speak to them, talk to them about their riding,” he said.

Tucker said most motorcyclists who had died were male, as men were prone to taking more risks.