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Bikers fight back with road safety campaign that claims car drivers are usually at fault

Australia’s motorcycling community has produced a road safety awareness campaign that argues that most accidents between car drivers and motorcyclists are the fault of the driver.

The campaign is part of an ongoing tussle between the biking community and Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission, which bikers say demonises riders as dangerous, taking the side of car drivers.

A TAC motorcycle safety campaign earlier this year drew many complaints from bikers, and an angry debate ensued in the comment thread on Mumbrella. A post by a bike-riding ad executive in 2009 argued that the TAC treated riders as drinkers and drug users.

The copy in the ad reads: “In 84% of rider fatalities, where drivers turned into, or across, the path of the motorcycle — the driver was at fault. Not the motorcyclist. Before you turn. Take a longer look.”

The group is backed by Motorcycling Australia and law firm Maurice Blackburn, which is running the campaign on its Facebook page and the website Lawyers4riders.com.au.

The campaign is called Stop SMIDSY, which stands for Sorry Mate I Didn’t See You, a term the group says is commonly used by drivers after an accident.

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