In Parliament Mr McCurdy said, “evidence continues to grow that the wire rope barriers seem to be doing more harm than good, especially to motorcyclists.
“As someone who has ridden bikes all my life, I know motorbike riding is a high-risk mode of transport, but the increase in wire rope barriers has well and truly tipped the odds against motorcyclists.
“I am absolutely horrified by the increase of wire rope barriers; they have grown so rapidly in the past few years and this is definitely a concern.
“I urge those responsible for wire rope barriers to review the OH&S for all road users. For instance, for a motorcyclist a tiny bump in the road, a bee sting or a rock on the road is significant. And when you put wire rope barriers on each side of you, it turns that risk from significant to deadly.
“Instead of placing wire rope barriers in the strategic places, the Victorian Government has now made these ‘cheese-grater’ barriers the easy and quick fix alternative.
“The Victorian Government needs to follow the lead of Western Australia, the first state in Australia to replace various wire rope barriers with AMCO railing, where direct impact with AMCO railing instead results in cars or motorbikes sliding along the railing rather than be sliced open by wire rope barriers.
“To think about the impact these wire rope barriers have on cars and then to think about how much more damage they can do to direct body on wire contact for motorbike riders, is just horrific.
“I urge the Victorian Government to listen to the motorcycle riders of Australia to ensure road safety is a priority for all road users, not just the larger users.”
Mr McCurdy will continue to push for the implementation of AMCO railing in replacements of wire rope barriers in Parliament.
