The crash happened because I had a head-on collision with a car on a motorbike. It was a combined speed of 180. I was doing 120 the car was doing 60. It was completely my fault. I was in the middle of the road racing my friends. I landed 40 meters away from the car, in a paddock.
My friends rushed over to me and I kept saying “take off my helmet, take off my helmet, I can't breathe”. And then I passed out.
I broke both my legs, I shattered my right kneecap, I had a compound fracture in my right femur, I shattered my pelvis in six different places. I broke my back from t7 to t12, my left arm was pretty much hanging off. Also broke my fingers and my hand, and six ribs.
I think for me, when I found out that I'd be paralysed for the rest of my life I didn't cope.
It was something that it took me a very long time to to come to terms with. The biggest regret wasn't so much what I had done to myself but what I'd put my family and friends through.
Having a crash doesn't just happen to you, it happens to everyone around you. It's the ripple effect. The trauma that you go through, everyone goes through in their own way as well.
Thank you for listening to my story and please consider taking the TAC Safe Driving Commitment.
There's a lot to learn from Robbie's story. When speeding on his motorbike, he was left with permanent injuries that impact his life to this day. If you'd like to know more, we encourage you to listen to Robbie’s story.
Consequences of not following road rules can be much worse than a fine, so please reconsider your driving behaviour so that everyone can get home safely.
Commit to safer driving
Below is an opportunity to reflect and make your own personal commitment to safer driving behaviour. I urge you to consider it. At the very least, it'll help you avoid more fines - and at the most, it could save a life.
Sincerely, Robbie
I, , commit to joining the rest of Victoria in driving safely.
- I will drive within the speed limit.
- I will set my speed alerts and use cruise control where possible, to help manage my speed.
- I will be attentive, mindful and patient with other drivers, to help everyone get home safely.
No personal details are collected as part of this commitment.
Commit