Major Stipulations for Motorcyclists Under New Road Traffic Act and Regulations

Instructors of motorcycle learner drivers will be required to drive within six metres of their students under the new Road Traffic Regulations, which come into effect on Wednesday, February 1.

According to the Regulations, an instructor must have a motorcycle driver’s licence for at least three years before engaging in the supervision of a learner.

Additionally, motorcycles being used by a holder of a learner permit must display the letter ‘L’, which should be red in colour and no smaller than 50mm wide and 35mm long.

Further, the learner driver is not allowed, at any time, to carry pillion passengers.

Meanwhile, the Regulations indicate that persons driving motorcycles with muffler systems exceeding 85 decibels will be fined $10,000.

Drivers modifying their vehicles by removing the silencer or changing the system, are encouraged to correct these in accordance with the Regulations.

Motorcyclists will also be fined $10,000 for doing a ‘wheelie’ (driving on a single wheel), on the roads.

All motorcyclists are required to wear a protective helmet that provides full coverage for the face, has an adjustable visor and a hard outer shell.

The shape of the shell above the reference plane, or crown of the helmet, shall be in the form of a continuous convex curve with no rigid projections or sharp edges on the inside.

Additionally, under the Road Traffic Act, 2018, a licensed driver accompanying a learner will be fined $30,000 for having a breath alcohol concentration exceeding 0.02 per cent.