Motorcycle safety continues to be a crucial part of NSW Government’s plan to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on our roads. Motorcycle and scooter riders face more risks on our roads as they're less protected than other road users. International research shows motorcycle riders are about 34 times more likely to be killed in a crash than other road users. Motorcycle riders are overrepresented in NSW road trauma. Last year, 75 riders were killed on NSW roads – an increase of 10% on the year before. On average, 60 motorcycle riders are killed and 1,088 are seriously injured each year.
- Motorcycle fatalities accounted for 20.7% of all road fatalities and nearly 4,500 injuries in 2024 despite motorcycles making up only 3.7% of registered motor vehicles.
- 75 motorcyclists have died on NSW roads in 2025 which is up 7 compared to 2024.
- After a significant increase in speed related fatalities in 2024, speeding as a factor amongst motorcyclists has fallen slightly in 2025 (from 43 in 2024 to 40 in 2025).
- Young rider fatalities 16-25 have increased by one from 2024 with 22 fatalities in 2025.
- Novice motorcyclist fatalities decreased from 12 in 2024 to 11 in 2025.
- 31% of motorcycle rider and passenger fatalities in 2025 were aged 50 years or over.
- 29% of motorcycle rider and passenger fatalities involve young riders 25 and under.
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Key messages |
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For motorcyclists
Choose the right gear for your ride
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- Riders who wear the right gear are up to twice as likely to avoid being hospitalised after a crash.
- Transport participates in two national initiatives to support motorcycle riders: the Motorcycle Clothing Assessment Program (MotoCAP), and Consumer Rating and Assessment of Safety Helmets (CRASH) program which test helmets, pants, jackets and gloves for safety and comfort or breathability. Visit motocap.com.au
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For motorcyclists
Before you ride
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- Choose a bike with Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS) to prevent skidding and allow maximum braking efficiency on a range of surfaces.
- Wearing protective gear makes you less likely to be injured in a crash. Riders who don’t wear protective gear are up to twice as likely to end up hospitalised after a crash.
- Routine maintenance checks can help determine if your bike is roadworthy. Having your bike serviced regularly and properly means you can head out on the road with more confidence and ride better.
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For motorcyclists
When you ride
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- Always assume other motorists haven’t seen you. Turn on your headlights to increase your visibility and keep a safe distance between you and other motorists.
- Riding conditions change on every road. Set your speed according to posted speed limits, your surroundings and the road surface.
- Remember, you can’t see around corners. Early braking, good gear changing, and correct road position will allow you to lean the bike and negotiate the bend smoothly.
- Motorcycles can take longer to stop than other vehicles. Riders need to be aware of safe braking distances in different conditions.
- Crashes can happen on any trip, no matter how long or short or what time of day.
- Think about how tired you are before you ride, recognise the early warning signs when riding, and know what to do to avoid riding tired.
- Fatigue-related crashes are almost three times as likely to be fatal than crashes not involving fatigue.
- Being awake for 17 hours has a similar effect on driving performance as a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05.
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| For drivers |
- Research has shown that motorcycle riders’ top three safety concerns were the inattention of other drivers, aggressive behaviour of other drivers and other road users not seeing motorcyclists.
- To help riders feel safe on the roads, here is come messaging to help drivers understand their responsibilities:
- Motorcyclists are sometimes difficult to see and require plenty of space so they can manoeuvre.
- Make sure to always check your blind spots before you merge.
- Be on the lookout for motorcycle riders.
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The campaign, Ride like everything’s out to get you, is Transport for NSW’s new motorcycle safety campaign. The campaign is designed for riders of all ages and experience levels, recognising that while enforcement, infrastructure and licensing reform are critical, behaviour on the road remains a decisive factor in motorcycle safety outcomes.
This campaign came as part of the commitments made during the 2025 Motorcycle Roundtable where experts from around Australia gathered to identify ways to lower the number of motorcyclist deaths and serious injuries. Launching in February 2026, riders are being urged to ride like everything is out to get them with the first round of the campaign focusing on the dangers of corners and correct cornering techniques.
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- Ride like everything's out to get you.
- Riders must ride defensively – anticipating the unexpected at every turn.
Corners
Intersections
Overtaking
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Campaign objectives |
Audience |
Output |
- Motorcycle riders underestimate safety risks whilst riding, through inexperience and/or complacency.
- They tend to think of the problem as 'anything/anyone but themselves'.
- Research demonstrated that this campaign helps riders to re-evaluate their risk-taking to effect behaviour change by focusing on 'external and unexpected risks' that are beyond their control.
- Research showed this path to have more potential to effect behaviour change than asking riders to consider their own culpability.
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- Remind riders of how to manage potential risks when on the road, focusing on risks where the action is more risky than commonly perceived.
- Elevate riders’ perception of risk by reminding them that all rides are high risk no matter the trip or skill level.
- Prompt riders to reflect on their permissible attitude by elevating their perception of risk.
- Draw attention to gaps in perception of risk where the action is more risky than commonly perceived.
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Primary
- Male motorcyclists 17-59 years old (novice and experienced)
- NSW Drivers
Secondary
- Aboriginal motorcyclists
- CALD motorcyclists (Chinese - Cantonese/ Mandarin, Hindi, Arabic)
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We need to ensure our new creative lands, optimising our paid media strategy to:
- Launch with impact
- Ensure creative and media work together - considered flighting and message rotation to be single minded by burst
- Drive cut through and build salience of the new message
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Ride like everything’s out to get you campaign video
16:19 ratio
Watch and download on CAL:
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MotoCAP Gear video
16:19 ratio, 30 seconds
Watch and download on CAL:
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MotoCAP Pants video
16:19 ratio, 15 seconds
Watch and download on CAL:
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MotoCAP Gloves video
16:19 ratio, 15 seconds
Watch and download on CAL:
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General
Newsletter imagery
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The below assets can be used for social posts, available on the Creative Assets Library.
Videos
Images
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Note:
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Motorcyclists are overrepresented in road fatalities and serious injuries. Last year, 75 motorcyclists died on our roads which is an increase of 7 from 2024. Whether you are a driver or rider we all have a responsibility to keep each other safe on our roads.
Where even an innocent wombat could become a hazard to motorcyclists, the Ride like everything’s out to get you campaign reminds motorcyclists to stay vigilant when on the road. Behaviour on the road remains a decisive factor in motorcycle safety outcomes. Simple safety tips can make a big difference on the road including taking corners correctly, overtaking only when safe and staying alert at intersections.
If you're a rider:
- Choose the safest gear and wear it every ride - no matter how short. Check out www.motocap.com.au to compare safety and comfort ratings of helmets, jackets, pants and gloves.
- Check your bike is in good condition for the ride.
- Be prepared by planning the safest route with breaks, checking weather and traffic conditions and being well rested.
- Practice safe riding behaviour such as buffering, avoiding harsh braking and starting curves wide and finishing tight as well as following the road rules.
- You never know what’s waiting around a corner. So, start wide and intend to finish tight.
Ride like everything’s out to get you. For more information on riding safety, visit: safe riding behaviour for motorcyclists.
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