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21-12-2006, 05:13pm
www.gcbulletin.com.au/article/2006/12/21/2444_news.html
21Dec06
ANOTHER motorcyclist has died on Gold Coast roads, just hours after police pleaded for a fatality-free Christmas.
The 34-year-old rider lost control of his high-powered sports bike and slammed into a gutter at Burleigh Heads yesterday afternoon.
He was the 10th motorcyclist to die on local roads this year, compared to the eight riders who died during all of 2005.
Earlier in the day, police launched their Christmas road safety campaign, showing off new highway pursuit cars and promising zero tolerance on speeding, seat belts, fatigue and drink driving.
"It (the death toll) is way over our projected figure," said police district duty officer Senior Sergeant Peter Box.
"It's far too many. We'll have to look at some strategies to help reduce this."
The victim yesterday was a Palm Beach man, who lost control of his Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R at 4.50pm while travelling south on West Burleigh Road.
He crashed into the gutter in front of a block of apartments at the entrance to Stanley Street.
Ambulance officers worked frantically to save the man but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Resident Aaron Roe said he heard tyres screeching before seeing the man crash.
"I was talking with my dad and looked outside because it sounded like someone was doing a burnout," he said.
"I saw his bike come flying down the road and hit the gutter.
"He lost control and his bike slid out from under him and then it's flipped and rolled over.
"I didn't think he was going very fast at first but when he hit the gutter he has gone flying across."
A thick black skid mark stretched for more than 40m from the crest of the road to the gutter.
The bike's speedometer, which was ripped from the bike in the crash impact, was stuck on 80km/h.
Police said they were unsure what caused the accident.
"The accident investigation squad is conducting inquiries," said regional police duty officer Paul Ziebarth.
"There are witnesses who are yet to be interviewed and we would also like any other witnesses to come forward.
"We've got a few people from after the incident and a few people before the incident but we don't actually have anyone that has seen the incident itself.
"At this stage we haven't got too much to go on but we'll be looking at whether or not speed was a contributing factor."
While police are unsure about the exact circumstances of the fatal crash, they have ruled out other vehicles being involved.
"There is no suggestion at this stage that any other vehicles were involved," said Insp Ziebarth.
Motorcycle sales have skyrocketed on the Gold Coast over the past five years, with the number of registered bikes jumping from 7619 in late 2001 to 12,342 at the end of last year.
The rise in sales has been consistent with the growing list of fatalities.
There were eight motorcycle fatalities on Gold Coast roads last year compared with six in 2004, five in 2003, seven in 2002 and five in 2001.
Last year, 64 motorcyclists were killed on Queensland roads.
That figure was 20 per cent of the state's overall road toll, yet motorcycles accounted for only 3 per cent of registered vehicles in Queensland.
At a road safety summit held at the start of the year, Premier Peter Beattie, Police Minister Judy Spence and Transport and Main Roads Minister Paul Lucas said that the motorcycle boom had become 'a serious concern'.
21Dec06
ANOTHER motorcyclist has died on Gold Coast roads, just hours after police pleaded for a fatality-free Christmas.
The 34-year-old rider lost control of his high-powered sports bike and slammed into a gutter at Burleigh Heads yesterday afternoon.
He was the 10th motorcyclist to die on local roads this year, compared to the eight riders who died during all of 2005.
Earlier in the day, police launched their Christmas road safety campaign, showing off new highway pursuit cars and promising zero tolerance on speeding, seat belts, fatigue and drink driving.
"It (the death toll) is way over our projected figure," said police district duty officer Senior Sergeant Peter Box.
"It's far too many. We'll have to look at some strategies to help reduce this."
The victim yesterday was a Palm Beach man, who lost control of his Suzuki Hayabusa GSX1300R at 4.50pm while travelling south on West Burleigh Road.
He crashed into the gutter in front of a block of apartments at the entrance to Stanley Street.
Ambulance officers worked frantically to save the man but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Resident Aaron Roe said he heard tyres screeching before seeing the man crash.
"I was talking with my dad and looked outside because it sounded like someone was doing a burnout," he said.
"I saw his bike come flying down the road and hit the gutter.
"He lost control and his bike slid out from under him and then it's flipped and rolled over.
"I didn't think he was going very fast at first but when he hit the gutter he has gone flying across."
A thick black skid mark stretched for more than 40m from the crest of the road to the gutter.
The bike's speedometer, which was ripped from the bike in the crash impact, was stuck on 80km/h.
Police said they were unsure what caused the accident.
"The accident investigation squad is conducting inquiries," said regional police duty officer Paul Ziebarth.
"There are witnesses who are yet to be interviewed and we would also like any other witnesses to come forward.
"We've got a few people from after the incident and a few people before the incident but we don't actually have anyone that has seen the incident itself.
"At this stage we haven't got too much to go on but we'll be looking at whether or not speed was a contributing factor."
While police are unsure about the exact circumstances of the fatal crash, they have ruled out other vehicles being involved.
"There is no suggestion at this stage that any other vehicles were involved," said Insp Ziebarth.
Motorcycle sales have skyrocketed on the Gold Coast over the past five years, with the number of registered bikes jumping from 7619 in late 2001 to 12,342 at the end of last year.
The rise in sales has been consistent with the growing list of fatalities.
There were eight motorcycle fatalities on Gold Coast roads last year compared with six in 2004, five in 2003, seven in 2002 and five in 2001.
Last year, 64 motorcyclists were killed on Queensland roads.
That figure was 20 per cent of the state's overall road toll, yet motorcycles accounted for only 3 per cent of registered vehicles in Queensland.
At a road safety summit held at the start of the year, Premier Peter Beattie, Police Minister Judy Spence and Transport and Main Roads Minister Paul Lucas said that the motorcycle boom had become 'a serious concern'.