An experienced motorcyclist who died after crashing on the Western Highway in Victoria has been identified as Ballarat rider Peter ‘Tiki’ Mason.
The 71-year-old artist was riding near Trawalla Road in Trawalla, west of Melbourne, shortly before 12.50pm on Sunday when he reportedly struck a pothole and lost control of his motorcycle. He died at the scene.
Police said the precise circumstances of the crash had yet to be established and would be investigated. However, friends and local riders have blamed the condition of the road, sharing photographs of potholes across Victoria’s highways.
Dave Turner, a close friend, paid tribute to Mr Mason online, writing: “RIP Tiki, may the riding gods be with you up there. Our club will be poorer for your loss.”
Mr Mason was a life member and the founding president of The Dodgy Few Social Motorcycle Club in Ballarat, a group created to build friendships through a shared interest in motorcycling. He later joined the Eureka Social Riders, which took over the Ballarat chapter of The Dodgy Few.
The club is known for taking part in regional charity events. Mr Mason, a proud New Zealander, was also a husband and father and had traditional Maori tattoos covering his face in recent years.
A rider who was travelling with him said there had been no other apparent cause of the crash besides the pothole, according to a source. A local resident said potholes were a familiar sight along the stretch of highway where Mr Mason died.
“(The potholes) are filled in with a bit of gravel and shortly afterwards open up again,” the resident said.
“We used to worry about hitting kangaroos. Now it’s a constant (effort to) dodge the potholes,” they added.
The death has prompted anger towards the Victorian Government, with critics accusing it of failing to maintain the state’s roads. Paul Povh, a podcaster from Hogs, Cogs and Two Aussie Flogs, said the government should be ashamed of the condition of the network.
The criticism came just one day after the state government announced a £40 million equivalent investment to help motorcyclists travel more safely in the region. The programme is due to include motorcycle-friendly barriers, surface improvements and better signage.
In August, the Victorian Government also pledged an additional $352 million to increase the number of potholes repaired this year from 250,000 to 500,000. Works are expected to cover major routes including the Geelong Ring Road, Western Highway, Calder Highway and Princes Highway.
The announcement has done little to ease the anger of those who knew Mr Mason, with fellow riders describing potholes as a serious danger for people travelling on two wheels.
The crash occurred days after the Victorian Auditor-General reported that half of the state’s road network was in poor or very poor condition, while the backlog of potholes awaiting repair was continuing to grow.
Road maintenance has become a major issue ahead of the Victorian election, with Labor and the Liberals both promising repair programmes. Liberal leader Jess Wilson has pledged $5 billion to eliminate one million potholes and prevent them from returning.
Sunday’s crash took the number of people killed on Victorian roads this year to 171.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has dashcam footage is being asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
