MotoGP fans urged to wear protective clothing to protect their skin

01 Oct 2008

MEDIA RELEASE - Wednesday 1 October 2008

The TAC’s senior manager of road safety David Healy has urged patrons riding to and from this weekend’s Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix (MotoGP) in Phillip Island to wear the right protective clothing so injuries can be prevented.

“We want to see MotoGP fans get there and back in one piece. We urge riders to gear up for the ride to Phillip Island with a full range of protective clothing,” said Mr Healy, “After all it’s a painful fact of life that motorbike riders are more likely to be injured in a crash than other road users. Protective clothing could save your skin.”

The TAC recommends riders go to the spokes.com.au website for safety tips and a comprehensive guide to the right riding gear. The redeveloped website was launched on Tuesday at Federation Square in Melbourne alongside motorcycle riding superstars that included Alex de Angelis, Casey Stoner, Anthony West, Toni Elias and Jorge Lorenzo.

“Motorcycle fans are going to love the interactive nature of the new spokes.com.au website – riders can share tips with each other and suggest the best Victorian bike rides. It also has a unique look and feel that will greatly appeal to riders,” said Mr Healy.

The TAC offers the following tips to riders heading to the MotoGP this weekend: 

• Gear up for the ride to Phillip Island with a full range of protective clothing – this means a full face helmet, gloves, full jacket with armour, reinforced pants with knee armour as well as riding boots.
• Whether you’re heading down in your own group or joining the MRA Cranbourne run, allow plenty of time for traffic and leave the racing for the main events.
• Avoid drinking if you plan to ride home after the race. Even small amounts of alcohol in your system affect balance and coordination. There will be more breath testers than ever before around the circuit. Make the most of them to ensure you are under 0.05.

This year, TAC has ensured there are more breath testing machines around the track than ever before. They can be found at the High Octane Club, Champions Club, Full Throttle Club, Pit Roof VIP village, the Silver Facility, the Red Line and Motorcycle Clubs. Tests will also occur at gates 1, 3 and 7 at the conclusion to the event. Fans are urged to make the most of them.

MotoGP fans are also encouraged to visit the TAC stand at the GP Expo where they’ll find a range of information about safe riding, plus they could ride away with $3,000 worth of the latest protective clothing.

For further motorcycling tips and information visit www.spokes.com.au

For further information contact Amanda Bavin (TAC) on 0439 567 249.

Images from the Launch at Federation Square
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