Michael Ferguson,Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
The Tasmanian Government is committed to making our roads safer and saving lives and our community-based road safety education programs are an important way to engage young people.
The Full Gear motorcycle safety program is heading to Northern Tasmania with the support of our Community Road Safety Grants program after four successful years’ operating in the south.
The initial six-month trial of the Northern Full Gear Motorcycle Training Program will be run by the City of Launceston in partnership with Starting Point Neighbourhood House and the Northern Suburbs Community Centre.
The trial will expand on the success of the southern Full Gear program run by Glenorchy City Council in partnership with Bucaan Community House which has already seen 60 young riders take part.
The Full Gear program covers the cost of the pre-learner training and assessment and contributes $400 towards safety gear such as helmets and gloves.
It provides participants with comprehensive motorcycle safety training to help them understand the risks and responsibilities of riding a motorcycle and sharing the road.
The Full Gear northern expansion is one of nine community-based road safety education programs sharing in almost $200,000 through the latest round of the Community Road Safety Grants program projects aimed at protecting vulnerable road users, such as children, young drivers and motorcycle riders.
Having a motorcycle licence gives young people the freedom to get around independently so they don’t need to rely on lifts or miss out on opportunities.
This funding helps community groups and local governments across Tasmania to provide small scale, local programs within their communities to improve road safety at a grass roots level to help save lives.
It builds on the $1.2 million provided through the program to date which has already supported over 70 local road safety programs.
In line with the Towards Zero – Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy 2017-2026 and Action Plan 2020-2024, the Tasmanian Government’s Community Road Safety Grants program supports local projects that help reduce the number of road deaths and serious injuries on Tasmanian roads every year.
