How Can Better Road Signs Save Motorbike Riders?

Vehicle transportation is a staple component of our society. When commuting, we see hundreds of cars and trucks on the road, including advertisements and outdoor digital signage. Sometimes it truly is a wonder how all the vehicles on the road can live in harmony. The credit for road safety goes for a range of components on the road like roading markings, signs, and signals. Additionally, the work done by governments deserves a shout out too. But safety tends to get overlooked for motorbike riders since they are relatively fewer in number. Motorbikes offer a lot less protection than their vehicular counterparts, which means they are more at risk of fatal accidents. It has been suggested that better road signs can save the lives of motorbike riders. But how can this be done?

Visible road signs

Driving is an activity that requires a driver’s full attention and is dependent heavily on vision. Therefore, the only way to communicate information to drivers about road safety is through visual stimulation. Traditional road signs tend to be harder to see, especially since they get worn out with time. Studies have noted that improved road markings and signage have helped increase safety on the road for all road users. When brighter signs have been installed, it has been seen that crash numbers have fallen by almost half. Therefore, installing more modern road signs and even replacing older ones can have a huge impact and save the lives of motorbike riders.

Retroreflective signs

You could simply make older road signs from metal in the past, which did its job but was not super effective. Traffic signs have been revolutionized through technology like retroreflective signs in modern times. These signs work on the principle of reflectivity. What essentially happens is that the light from the headlights of a car or motorbike hits the sign and is reflected to the driver. This returned light makes the road sign appear brighter to the driver, ensuring that they will give them more attention. Therefore, motorbike drivers will be alerted to any road safety alerts, and cars will also be careful. Overall, this results in more safety for motorbike riders.

Active Symbols

A study conducted by researchers found that the symbols on traditional road signs are too passive. They found that drivers were more likely to take action accordingly if the symbols depicted more motion and dynamism. This is because drivers do not have much time to read something, so it will catch their attention if they see a depiction of movement. These symbols can even show a greater risk depiction if designed correctly, resulting in drivers driving more safely. For example, a sign showing falling rocks can show rocks falling closer to the car, showing a genuine danger to their safety. This may prompt drivers to be more alert for any collapses, increasing road safety for them and motorbike riders.

Better Sign Warnings

Just as symbols on signs can influence drivers, so can the warnings written on them. Typically when roads allow cars, motorbikes, and bicycles to share a lane, the signs will read ‘Share the road.’ But this warning is very ambitious, as most drivers may not realize that they are talking about bikes and may think they are trucks. In a quick survey conducted by researchers, they found that more people understood the sign that was about cyclists when it said, ‘Bicycles may use the full lane.’ We can apply this same principle for motorbikes too. Such an implementation can alert drivers to the presence of motorbikes that they can sometimes forget since cars are usually a majority of the road. This can help increase safety for motorbike riders.

https://www.trolltours.com.au/

The Harley tour Blue Mountains is a great way to see the famous Blue Mountains. Whether on a trike or Harley, it’s a wonderful area to explore on a motorcycle. The foothills are situated 50 kms west of Sydney CBD and it takes approximately 1 hour to ride to the base. Then it takes another hour to ride up the mountain to the main area of Katoomba. Here, in Katoomba is Echo Point, one of the best spots for viewing the area’s most famous rock formation – the Three Sisters (see photo above right.)

Often we meet our passengers half way up the mountain or at Katoomba Railway Station. If time is limited, that way they get to see the best bits, just not the freeway. We recommend two hours to get a good tour of the area. The Blue Mountains is only a small part of an extensive mountainous area associated with the 3,700 km long Great Dividing Range.

Megalong Valley

Megalong Valley is simply magic. While the view from the Hydro Majestic Hotel at Medlow Bath is breathtaking, a drive down into the valley itself is an unforgettable experience. The natural beauty of the Megalong Valley allows any visitor to unwind. The Aboriginal word megalong means ‘valley below the cliffs’. The fabulous Cox’s River passes through the valley, and it is via this river in 1818, Thomas Jones was believed to be the first European visitor to the area. Thomas Jones ventured into the valley to explore its natural vegetation.

Echo Point

The Three Sisters is an iconic formation that you must see at least once in your lifetime. However, there are different versions of the Aboriginal story of the Three Sisters, but what you’re bound to agree with is how truly spectacular it is. The imposing Three Sisters is best seen from Echo Point lookout, just outside the national park, on the edge of the plateau. These three weathered sandstone peaks, formed thousands of years ago through erosion, are set among the cliffs of the Jamison Valley. From the lookout, you’ll be able to see the Ruined Castle and Mount Solitary.

Jamison Valley

The Jamison Valley makes up a part of the Coxs River system, a complex structure of canyons and valleys that sprawl out in NSW. The historic timeline of the Blue Mountains spans back 470 million years to be exact. The development of the region began when the entire land was immersed in seawater. With the earth’s plates slowly moving to create the continents we know today. During this time, the large sediments settled on the seafloor. Slowly compressing together to form sandstone and shale underwater rocks. Once the sea levels lowered, the large rocks appeared; with thousands of years of erosion and volcano eruptions shaping these mountains. Soon life developed, covering the area in rich greenery and unique Australian animals. Creating what we know today, as the green Jamison Valley. https://bluemountainstoursydney.com.au/attractions/jamison-valley/

These are just a couple of the places we can show you in the Blue Mountains area, west of Sydney. There is so much to see there and it really is beautiful. In conclusion, contact us to book or to ask any questions you may have. The Harley tour Blue Mountains really is a great way to see the famous Blue Mountains and Three Sisters. The trike is just as fun.

https://www.trolltours.com.au/tours-and-prices/ The two scenic photos are courtesy of Tourism Australia.

Six interesting facts about Father’s Day you may not know. Father’s Day is the perfect opportunity to remind the dads and father figures in our lives how much we care about them. But we haven’t always had a special day devoted to dads. A Gift Voucher is a great present for Dad, he has 3 years to use it. Australia will have freedom to experience Sydney before then.

1. The first Father’s Day was inspired by a single dad

Father’s Day came about thanks to the daughter of a single dad called William Jackson Smart. A Civil War veteran from Washington in the United States, William’s wife died during the birth of his daughter, Sonora Smart Dodd.

William raised Sonora and her five older siblings on his own. With Mother’s Day celebrated each year, Sonora felt her Dad – and fathers everywhere – deserved a special day too. She campaigned for first Father’s Day and the first one was held in her father’s birth month, June, in 1910.

2. Father’s Day initially received opposition in Australia

In the 1930s, the idea of a Father’s Day started to take hold in Australia, with discussions cropping up each year after Mother’s Day was celebrated in May.

Some didn’t welcome the idea, though. In 1939, a Sydney newspaper published a piece about Father’s Day, including comments from Reverend Rayward, superintendent of the Central Methodist Mission: “There is as yet no Father’s Day. Commercial interests endeavour every year during September to initiate such a day, but it always falls flat. In view of the fact that the move is purely commercial, it deserves to do so.”

3. Father’s Day arrived in Australia in a different month

Mother’s Day in Australia lines up with the rest of the world, in May. Father’s Day; however, is celebrated here in September while dads in the UK, US and most other parts of the world celebrate it in June.

Most commentators suggest the date was chosen for commercial reasons and to fit around other dates on the Aussie calendar. However, way back in 1911 – only a year after the first Father’s Day in the US – another Sydney newspaper reader suggested “seasonal” reasons: “September should be the month in which to hail him king, for, under the Southern Cross, it is in that month Dad’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” Now for the next (and last) three facts about six interesting facts about Father’s Day.

4. Father’s Day was well and truly alive in Australia in the 1940s

By the 1940s, Australia had embraced Father’s Day and celebrated it on the first Sunday in September each year. Indeed, some had become a little too enthusiastic about showing dads how much they care.

On Father’s Day in 1945, a discharged RAAF pilot, Maxwell Bishop Holland, took off from Mascot in a Moth plane on a mission. He flew to his father’s home in Vaucluse, descended from 3,000 to 100 feet, and threw out sweets with a Father’s Day message attached. The mission didn’t quite go to plan – although the sweets landed without incident, they were seized by youngsters rather than the dads. And the well-meaning pilot copped a five-pound fine for flying without a civil licence!

Dads in Australia: Fact file
1 in 5 Australians are dads
4.6% of Australian dads are stay-at-home fathers
There are 156,000 single-parent dads

5. We’re still celebrating, but dads are changing

Father’s Day grows more popular every year, and the dads being spoilt these days are a little different compared with the dads back when Father’s Day first gained popularity.

1. According to social researchers McCrindle, 2.2 million dads have kids under 18 years.

2. The average age of dads with a newborn is now 33 years, with the age rising steadily since the 1970s when the average age was 26 years.

3. Stay-at-home dads are (slowly) growing in number. In 1981, just 1.9 per cent of two-parent families had a stay-at-home dad. In 2016, that percentage was sitting at 4.6 per cent.

Dads want more time with their kids. Figures from the Working Parents Report show that 65.1 per cent of fathers not returning to work immediately after having a child are being judged negatively by society. Over four in five (83.2%) say they would have liked to stay home with their child longer before returning to work, and over two thirds (68.4%) wish they had held off on returning to work so they could spend more time with their child during the early years.

6. How we celebrate today

Cards, celebratory lunches and breakfasts in bed are standard gifts. But in the digital age, our search for the perfect present is often made online. Research shows many of us turn to Google in the weeks before Father’s Day, with GPS navigation devices, soccer gear, hardware, outdoors supplies and car merchandise the most popular searches. And thanks to our position as the odd one out internationally, we can celebrate outdoors in the spring sunshine rather than shivering through a winter’s day in June.

Armed with these Father’s Day facts, you now have even more reason to appreciate the day we dedicate to dads. And as you celebrate with food or hand over a gift, don’t forget to tell the dads in your life how you appreciate everything they do. We hope you liked the six interesting facts about Father’s Day.

Written by Akanksha of Reprise, Sydney

One of our most popular tours is the Eastern Sydney Panorama Tour. It goes for 1.5 hours through the eastern suburbs of Sydney. You can travel on the trike or Harley Davidson motorcycle to some of the most famous sights of Sydney and Eastern Sydney.

Mrs Macquaries Chair

We’ll pick you up from a prearranged place and take you around Sydney Harbour. Past the Botanical Gardens which has Government house situated in it. Next, we ride past the Art Gallery of NSW to Mrs Macquaries Point. A fantastic view of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge is found here. Mrs Macquarie’s Chair is an exposed sandstone rock cut into the shape of a bench, on a peninsula in Sydney Harbour. It was hand carved by convicts in 1810, for Elizabeth Macquarie, the wife of Major-General Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales.

Harry’s Cafe de Wheels

Then, travel through Woolloomooloo, past the famous Harry’s Cafe De Wheels. Harry’s Cafe de Wheels is an iconic pie cart located on Cowper Wharf Road in Woolloomooloo. It’s near the Finger Wharf and Fleet Base East. They are best known for their dish “Tiger Pie”, a type of Australian meat pie named after the original founder of Harry’s.

Ride up to infamous Kings Cross, Colloquially known as The Cross, the area was once known for its music halls and grand theatres. It was rapidly transformed after World War II. By an influx of troops returning and visiting from the nearby Garden Island naval base. It became known as Sydney’s night entertainment and red-light district; however, many nightclubs, bars and adult entertainment venues closed due to the Sydney lockout laws. Today, it is a mixed locality offering services such as a railway station, gyms, supermarkets and bakeries. There are many entertainment venues including bars, restaurants, nightclubs, brothels and strip clubs.

The Coca-Cola Billboard in Kings Cross

Kings Cross is also home to the huge Coca Cola sign. The Coca-Cola Billboard in Kings Cross, Sydney, usually referred to by Sydneysiders simply as “The Coca-Cola Sign” or “The Coke Sign”. It was/is an advertising billboard erected in 1974 by the Coca-Cola Company. It is more often regarded as an iconic landmark than as an advertisement.

Bondi Beach

Further into the posh Eastern Suburbs and we drive past the lovely suburbs of Rushcutters Bay, Double Bay, Rose Bay and Vaucluse. Arriving at the world famous Bondi Beach is quite impressive. You will have a fantastic view from the back of the trike or Harley. We wander along the beach front where you will be momentarily as famous as the beach itself when all passersby can’t help but look at you.

Oxford Street

If there is time we return to your drop off point via the very ‘out there’ Oxford Street, home of great fashion and jewellery designers. The western section is widely recognised as Sydney’s main gay district.

This itinerary can be changed to suit your personal requirements. However, you’ll find the time flies past. Sometimes the route is changed on the day, depending on the traffic. In conclusion, the Eastern Sydney Panorama Tour really is a good one which shows some beautiful parts of Sydney city.

https://www.trolltours.com.au/product/eastern-sydney-panorama-trike-ride/

Palm Beach is one of our favourite places in Sydney. Palm Beach is a suburb in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney. It is located 41 kilometres north of the Sydney but it’s such a wonderful ride to get to. It’s the destination on our Beach Beauty Tour. https://www.trolltours.com.au/product/the-beach-beauty

Summer Bay (Home and Away)

Sometimes, Palm Beach is colloquially referred to as ‘Palmy’; and is used for exterior filming of the soap opera Home and Away, as the fictional town of Summer Bay. It is also the subject of the 2018 film ‘Palm Beach’. Despite the hefty property prices it remains a haven for a variety of artists

It is bounded by Broken Bay to the north, the Tasman Sea (within the South Pacific Ocean) to the east, Whale Beach, Avalon and Clareville to the south, and Pittwater to the west.

The Palm Beach photo above

This photo was taken from the headland at the northernmost point. It rises quite sharply from the beach to over 100 metres (330 ft) above sea level, and features an operational lighthouse. The narrow sandy isthmus or tombolo linking the south side of the headland to the rest of Palm Beach had extensive fencing and shrub planting undertaken during the 1980s to combat sand erosion.

Fishing is good at this time of the year. During winter, the Australian salmon run so bring your beach rod!

Specifications of Palm Beach

The 2.3-kilometre long east-facing beach curves in a gentle arc between the lighthouse and Barrenjoey Head. To the sandstone rocks of Little Head in the south, beach linking Barrenjoey to the mainland. North Palm Beach extends 1.4 kilometres south from Barrenjoey, with the northern 600 metres backed by a 200-metre wide densely vegetated foredune. The southern Palm Beach section includes the southern 600 metres (2,000 ft) of beach, which curves to the southeast in the southern Kiddies Corner. It receives increasing protection from Little Head with waves decreasing in height down the beach. Rips usually extend all the way to the head, though usually smaller in size, with a weak permanent rip against the southern rocks.

So as you can tell by this article, Palm Beach is one of our favourite places in Sydney! We can pick you up somewhere on the Northern Beaches and tour to and around here. Or, we can pick you up anywhere in Sydney or the surrounding areas, however, the ride may take longer than 3 hours. Contact us for a tour to Palm Beach – we know you’ll love it!