Following the announcement that the new Road Traffic Act which is to come into effect on Wednesday (February 1) motorcyclists and instructors will see a vast change in the guidelines they are required to adhere to while using the roadways.

Under the new Road Traffic Regulation, instructors of motorcycle learner drivers will be required to drive within six metres of their students.

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.

Also, 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 who are caught doing a ‘wheelie’ (driving on a single wheel), on the roads will also be fined $10,000.

It is important to note that 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.