Tough licence test to stem biker deaths

QUEENSLANDERS may soon find it harder to get a motorcycle licence under new rules being considered to combat a spike in road deaths.

The State Government is thinking about introducing a learner licence practical test and extending the period riders spend on their L- plates and restricted licences.

There have been 32 motorcyclerelated deaths in Queensland this year, a rise of 60 per cent over the same time last year.

Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey is seeking community feedback after launching a discussion paper and an online survey yesterday.

“It’s in the first three years of getting their licence that the greatest risk is there for motorcycle riders,” he said.

“We’re proposing a number of measures that we’d like to hear from the Queensland community about.” Car drivers who want a motorbike learner licence now do not have to sit a practical test.

There is no minimum period before learners can take the practical test for a restricted licence.

They can graduate from the restricted licence, which has a zero- alcohol and no- passenger requirement, to an unrestricted licence in one year.