Do Decals make you safer. Road users think you are Police

[BigJohn]

OK might be contentious I know !!
If other road users, particularly those who would put you into hospital without too much regret, thought you were Police they would show respect. ( particularly as many are unlicensed and therefore uninsured ).
OK how far can you get your motor cycle the reflective Decal treatment ?
What reflective protective clothing can you wear ?
John

[Totgas]

I'm telling you, I don't have any problems in this area;



A

[Gadget]

I get seen most times.

Diesel can attest to the ability to stop speeding traffic.

However I do still need the air horn from time to time. But that is the price I pay for riding in peak hour Brisbane traffic.

[Marcus]

This is actually tape

[Nigel]

I find a white bike does the job nicely, had countless numbers slow down, move over, when travelling behind. Sometimes when parked up on side of road,interesting to watch the change in cars road speed, quite dramatic actually. Any body that saw Totgas`s bike would automatically slow down just through its presence. That`s why I would by an ex police 1300 if I was in the market for one, just for the benefit of the "Is it or not" factor.....

[Old Steve]

My St1100 was an ex Police bike, had the screw holes just behind the screen where they fitted the calibrated speedo (though the speedo on an ST1100P is marked in 2 km/hr increments it is not able to be calibrated for Police work so they fitted an additional calibrated speedo behind the screen.).

I can testify to the visibility of a white ST1100 when the rider wears a fluoro hi-viz vest, you can guess when cars coming down a side road will see you and hit their brakes   "....  Just .... about .... NOW!"

Even had Police car drivers coming the other way wave to me, don't know if it was a "Gee, an ex Police bike" wave or a "Hey, watch your speed" wave though.

However, never got off a speeding ticket because I was riding an ex Police bike.  Was sitting on 11 points when I went home to NZ.

[Yorkie]

In WA at least you can do anything as long as you don't say you are police, around Bunbury area is an ex police Yamaha 750 with lights and siren with POLITE across the screen about 50 mm high, also have a mate with ex police CB750 with working lights and siren, has no problems.

[Totgas]

On this topic, as I frequently get asked, whats the law in this regard?

In answer I present the following case recently reported in QLD Newspapers.

An Ipswich security company recently fitted out all their vehicles as replicas of Police vehicles.



These vehicle had the same police checker board stripes, badges and blue lights on the roof.  The drivers also wear Police like uniforms and are armed. The badges although looking like the police symbol did in fact say "Security" and the Blue lights apparently were not connected. The real Police however took a dim view of this and the Police "Union" wanted charges laid against the company and them taken to court. However the legal eagles have stated that unless they are telling people they are Police, acting as if they are Police or they have the actual word "Police" on their vehicles then they are not breaking the law. It would appear also, at least in QLD, that there is no copyright present on police vehicle livery.

A.

PS I'm not saying that this doesn't have it's consequences, abuse, drivers slowing down to a crawl and being advised to stop riding are but a few (see http://ozstoc.com/index.php?topic=7850.msg90427#msg90427) However the safety aspect, I believe, mitigates all the negatives.