Deadliest year for motorbike riders in over two decades

Concerns are growing about a new trend among motorcyclists after a horror year on Victorian roads. Here’s a map of the deadliest roads for bikers in 2022.

The roadside memorial on the Portarlington Road where Ryan Loader died after crashing his motorbike in September, 2022. Picture: Mike Dugdale

Last year was one of the deadliest on record for Victorian motorcyclists.

Fifty-six riders died on the state’s roads – a 44 per cent jump on the five-year average.

And almost 40 per cent of those killed were unlicensed.

The death toll, which matched 2016’s, was the highest since the state recorded 64 biker deaths in 2001.

Kane Bell knows he’s lucky to be alive after a horror crash in February 2022 that left him with PTSD, chronic pain and sleep problems.

He was riding his Harley Davidson at Longwarry, southeast of Melbourne, when he hit a kerb at high speed and was thrown through a fence. “I ended up knocked out in someone’s backyard,” he said.

Kane Bell, 35, was lucky to survive when he crashed his motorbike in Longwarry on February 23, 2022. Picture: Supplied.

Bell suffers a compound fracture to his leg which he is still recovering from one year later. Picture: Supplied

“I just remember the falling feeling. I still get it now when I’m trying to fall asleep. It messes with me.”

Mr Bell, who suffered a compound fracture to his leg and a burn to his underarm from the bike exhaust, was flown to The Alfred hospital.

“The wound was open and there was grass and rocks and stuff inside my leg so they had to keep cleaning that,” he said. “And the skin from under my arm was sticking to my chest.”

Mr Bell said the ordeal still haunted him as he neared its one-year anniversary.

“It was the most horrible ­experience of my life; I’ve never been in that much pain before,” he said.

“Not being able to run with your child is the worst part. I’d never experienced depression, never knew what mental healthissues were. Now I do.”

The young dad said he ­believed all riders needed to know “you’re not invincible”.

Bell underwent multiple operations on his leg, remaining in hospital for weeks after the accident. Picture: Supplied.

“I used to ride like I had nine lives,” he said. “The crash, it’s put me in a really bad spot.”

The crash figures raise major concerns for authorities, who say 22 of the 56 deceased riders last year were unlicensed – almost double the average of 12 to 13.

Victoria is off to a horror start this year, with more than one person a day killed on the roads in January. Of those, two were motorbike riders.

“It is alarming to police that there are so many unauthorised riders on the roads who have complete disregard for the roadrules,” a police spokeswoman said.

“Riding a motorcycle is a complex task … which is why obtaining a motorcycle licence is so imperative.”

While motorcycle registrations increased by 10 per cent from 2016 to 2021 – to more than 200,000 – bikers make up just 3 per cent of road users.

However, rider deaths ­accounted for 23 per cent of fatal road crashes in 2022, a disproportionate number of them on country roads.

TAC chief executive Joe Calafiore said too many road users of all demographics were being killed and injured, calling thetrends “sadly familiar”.

“It’s high speeds, it’s taking risks and it’s simple mistakes,” he said.

“Nobody ever thinks they’ll be involved in a crash, but if you wear all of your safety gear on every ride, you’re giving yourselfthe best chance of survival if something goes wrong.”