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Issue 26 - 26 August 2011
Motorcycle test review
Some of you will have received an invitation from Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) inviting your pupils to take part in trialling changes to module one of the motorcycle test. These trials will take place at a number of off-road circuits between September and the end of November. Here is the list of the potential locations for the trial.
TRL have been commissioned to carry out the research as part of the ongoing review, announced by Road Safety Minister, Mike Penning. DSA’s role in supporting these trials will be to provide examiners to conduct the exercise.
TRL is also inviting any trainer interested in taking part to an optional ‘train the trainer’ event to be held at either DSA Cardington or at the TRL facility in Crowthorne, Berkshire. At this event, senior examiners from DSA will provide detailed information on the new manoeuvres to be tested, with a chance to try them out yourself.
If you are keen to find out more, please contact TRL to express your interest by:
Motorcycle test availability
DSA developed an action plan to improve the availability of both examiner resource and motorcycle test slots. There are various strands to this plan including the following:
Increasing test booking availability
Since May, the agency has made more tests available and the word is, trainers are seeing the benefit in many areas. By July more tests were offered than were booked - about one in ten of the tests offered was not booked. Although this may seem like a waste of resource, DSA is getting valuable information on the number of tests trainers would require for next year.
Increasing test sites
The agency is actively looking for additional casual sites from which to conduct motorcycle module one testing, in Lerwick, Stoke-on-Trent, Cumbria, East & West Yorkshire, Cornwall and the Isle of Wight. A new centre has opened in Aberporth, West Wales this month.
DSA is encouraging people to put forward potential sites in these areas for module one testing.
If you’re a driver or rider trainer who knows of any suitable sites ready to use, then DSA would like to hear from you. Please get in touch at casualsites@dsa.gsi.gov.uk
Increasing motorcycle examiner resource
DSA wants to recruit 50 new motorcycle examiners to increase the resource for bike testing. 12 existing DSA examiners will be trained by October. A number of potential bike examiners have also been identified from the recent examiner recruitment, and the agency will look to fast track these examiners to bike testing.
The agency is also looking at radical changes on recruiting and training examiners specifically for bike testing and how to overcome the challenges this presents. In the meantime CBT managers are currently conducting tests for some of their time in certain areas where there are resource issues.
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Update on incident reporting
Please note DSA has revised the report form that all Approved Training Bodies use when reporting incidents to DSA.
It is important to include as much information as possible. Most information can be entered by simply selecting from the drop down options provided.
Please ensure you use only this version, with immediate effect. All incidents should be reported within 48 hours from when they occur.
Serious incidents (where persons have been injured and had to consult a health professional e.g. an ambulance called or taken to hospital, walk-in centre or doctors ) must be reported straight away to the DSA duty officer on 0115 9366362 (a message must be left if outside office hours).
Thank you to all those of you who have followed the new incident reporting process and returned your incident reports to CBT@dsa.gsi.gov.uk. Please note that you can download the incident report form.
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Are you on the register of post test motorcycle trainers yet?
The register is seeing a revival with more local authorities taking up the Enhanced Rider Scheme and working closer with their local DSA approved post test motorcycle trainers.
A few months ago a pan regional project team, led by DfT, took on the enormous task of reviewing the register and came back with interesting feedback. The work resulted in an increase in the number of motorcycle trainers joining the register, particularly from the areas of the local authorities who took part in the project. You can read all about this in the Department for Transport report.
How to join the register:
First, order a starter pack from DSA for £6.99 which includes guidance notes, an application form, a copy of the code of conduct and examples of theory test questions and answers. Phone the DSA RPMT starter pack order line on 0191 201 8089.
Then there are two options for you:
- take the three DSA qualifying tests (a theory test, a riding ability test and an instructional ability test)
- 2. take an accredited route - take the DSA theory test and then complete a DSA accredited training course provided by an external training provider 2
More information on how to become a DSA approved post test motorcycle trainer here or email rpmt@dsa.gsi.gov.uk
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Join our growing Facebook community for learner riders!
Since its launch in May, our ‘Learning to ride starts here’ Facebook page now has over 900 fans.
So far, we’ve shared information for learners on Directgov, news about biking initiatives such as ‘national ride to work day’ as well as linking to useful videos.
Why not tell your students about this page, or become a fan yourself – when you’re logged into Facebook, just type in ‘Learning to ride starts here’ or if you don’t have a Facebook account, just type in facebook.com/start2rideBack to top
Motorcycle safety THINK! leaflets available
The Department for Transport THINK! Road safety team has a number of leaflets “essential guide to protective gear for bikers” available for motorcycle candidates. This leaflet sponsored by ‘Infinity motorcycles’ includes vouchers for motorcycle gear. If you want some of these leaflets send an email to DfTPublicity@dft.gsi.gov.uk stating how many copies you would like.
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