Free motorcycle courses available to Thames Valley bikers
Wednesday 27 May 2009, 4:50pm
A free training workshop for motorcyclists with a full licence launched on 27 May.
Open to any motorcyclist living in Thames Valley, the classroom-based session offers advice and discussions on speed, positioning, road hazards, and experience.
Currently, motorcycles make up just one per cent of the traffic on the roads of Thames Valley, but account for 20 per cent of the casualties on the roads.
So far, eight bikers have died while riding in Thames Valley this year. Last year, there were 16 fatal collisions involving bikers and 191 which left motorcyclists with serious injuries.
Inspector Bob Jarrett, from the Thames Valley Police Roads Policing Unit, said: “Motorcyclists make up a disproportionate number of casualties because they have less protection than car drivers and are more vulnerable when involved in a collision.
“These courses are about getting riders to recognise hazards and use the time available to deal with them safely. The bottom line is that we want riders to enjoy being in the Thames Valley and make sure that they return home safely.”
Steve Johnson, DriveTech director of communications, said: “Although there is no on-road element to the course, the feedback that we have received from the vast majority of bikers who have completed it has been positive.
“The course is delivered by experienced riders who will help you realise when you could be putting yourself at risk, even when it is no fault of your own.”
The launch will be accompanied by an advertising campaign featuring Kevin Fox, a biker who lost an arm in a motorcycle crash in Milton Keynes last year. The advertising, which urges motorcyclists to take the training workshop, will be appearing at meeting points for bikers in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire.
For more information or to book on a course, please log on to www.saferrider.org or www.drivetechride.com (opens new window).
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