While motorcycles make up just 3.7% of South Australia’s registered vehicles, motorcyclists and their passengers have accounted for about 20% of the state’s road fatalities so far this year.

At the current rate, South Australia could record the highest number of motorcyclist fatalities since 2017, when the total was 24.

RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure, Charles Mountain, said it was a timely reminder that all road users need to take care on the road.

“By sharing the road and following a few simple rules, you can help keep motorcyclists safe,” he says.

Here are a few quick tips:

For motorcyclists

• Wear the correct protective gear when riding.
• Only lane filter when it’s legal to do so and watch for vehicles changing lanes.
• Don’t lane filter through bike lanes.
• When riding in wet weather, slow down and beware of potentially slippery conditions such as oil on the road, particularly at intersections.

For drivers

• When sitting in traffic at the lights, if possible, leave enough space between you and the vehicle next to you so motorcyclists can lane filter safely.
• Before changing lanes, check your blind spots to ensure a motorcyclist isn’t lane filtering.
• Motorcyclists can take up a whole lane, so overtake them in the same manner you would other vehicles.

Motorcyclist fatalities by year