GLOUCESTER motorcyclist Brian Beesley is asking local drivers to look – and then look again – as he takes part in this year’s Jo/Joe Rider road safety campaign.
From 1 to 9 October, Mr Beesley will wear a distinctive high-visibility Jo Rider vest while travelling through Gloucester, Wingham, Taree and other communities across the Mid North Coast.
Motorists and passengers who spot him – or another participating rider – can record the time, road and suburb and enter online for the chance to win prizes.
The competition is part of the Motorcycle Council of NSW Motorcycle Awareness Month campaign, built around the message: “Looks clear? Look again”.
It encourages drivers to consciously look for motorcycles and make that behaviour an everyday habit.
For Mr Beesley, who has ridden motorcycles for more than 40 years, the message is about “active driving” – remaining alert to the road, surroundings and other road users.
That awareness is particularly important on regional roads, where drivers and riders may encounter wildlife, tight corners, poor road surfaces, farm machinery, and heavy vehicles.
“We are sharing a common resource – the road,” Mr Beesley said.
“Drivers need to imagine themselves in the seat of another vehicle, whether it is a truck and trailer, a motorcycle or a farm tractor crossing the road.”
The danger of not looking was brought home to him recently when a driver stopped at a stop sign in Gloucester’s main street, then began pulling out without looking in his direction.
“Fortunately, I was watching their face and could see they hadn’t looked my way, so I stopped for them,” he said.
Motorcycles account for only 3.8 per cent of registered vehicles in NSW but around one in five road deaths. In 2024, 57 per cent of motorcycle fatalities occurred in regional NSW.
Mr Beesley said responsibility must go both ways. Riders should manage their speed, road position and cornering and ride as though other road users may not have seen them.
He hopes the bright vests – and the chance to win fuel vouchers – will encourage families to play “spotto” and start conversations about road safety.
Once the competition ends, Mr Beesley is asking local drivers to keep practising active driving.
“Put the phone away, expect the unexpected and remember that every road user has a life to live.”
Competition details are available at mccofnsw.org.au/events.
By Sonja DUNCAN
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