Is additional training for you?
All riders can clearly benefit from additional training, as we never stop learning. Obviously, the less accomplished we are at any activity would suggest the greater the learning curve that lay’s ahead.
Motorcycling presents the same challenges, but with an additional risk factor that is associated with a rider’s vulnerability through being inexperience or through a lack of training.
So who’s most vulnerable?
Whilst it is well documented that speed, gender, age groups and machine size provide a common theme with accidents, in my opinion those riders who are new to biking , together with those returning to biking are also very vulnerable. Even some experienced riders who ride with an element of complacency (it will never happen to me), have possibly only avoided an accident through more luck than judgement.
Key benefits to post test training:
- Become a safer rider
- Get more from their motorcycling
- Reassurance for family and friends
- Huge personal achievement
- Recognised by brokers such as Devitt Insurance
Training opportunities
Options open to riders are varied. Many local authorities together with casualty reduction teams provide subsidised training opportunities.
- National enhanced rider scheme – supported by the DSA
- Several national advanced training clubs affiliated with the IAM and RoSPA
- Provide riders with a social scene
- Assists in developing rider’s skills
- Some Police Forces provide Bike Safe workshop’s
- Includes an assessment (health check) of rider’s ability There are commercial advanced training schools that specialise in delivering post- test and advanced training courses.
The benefit of the latter is that they deliver intense training sessions and use radios to communicate tuition, which massively enhances the development of the rider.
Total Advanced for example, has an excellent reputation in delivering this level of training.
A training session with Total Advanced
Although Total Advanced are an Essex based company they attract riders from all over the UK and abroad. Further to them specialising in this type of training, they only use police or ex-police riders as instructors and can also video each riding session, which provides accurate and detailed dynamic feedback to their customers.
After the training session they provide the rider with a comprehensive report which is set against similar competencies measured within a national framework (RoSPA) which means riders can benchmark their ability against a recognised advanced standard.
What are your options?
There are many options available, but the first important decision to make is to acknowledge the gain from additional training. From there it is simply then deciding which type of training is best suited for you.
Remember: Post-test training is not regulated so ask the company/instructor…
“What qualification have you got to train me?”
This equally applies to CBT and DAS instructors who are qualified to teach learners, but not necessary delivering advanced training.
Want an Enhanced Rider Scheme? Your instructor must be approved by the DSA.
Want advanced training? Your instructor must have a Diploma or Btec in advanced tuition.
If you join a club you will be allocated a tutor/observer who would have attained an ‘in house’ accreditation to tutor you.
On a final word, whatever your budget and goals, there is training available that will not only make you safer rider, but also make you enjoy motorcycling to the full…so what are you waiting for!?
Train with Total Advanced
The video below, from Total Advanced takes us through an advanced motorcycle test. This 6 minute clip from a 45 minute test gives us an idea of what the examiner is looking for and expecting of the candidate.
Mick Jones is the Chief Instructor for Total Advanced Training, a Bike Safe Assessor and a Rospa Motorcycle Examiner. He was a former Bike magazines resident expert for 4 years on their column ‘the riding clinic’ and ex Police Surveillance Motorcyclist in London.
To find out more information about Mick & Total Advanced why not visit the Total Advanced website, email info@totaladvanced.co.uk or phone 07813167749.
You can also follow Total Advanced on Twitter and Facebook.
3 comments on “Who can benefit from post test training?”
Nice ride by the candidate until about 4.00 when he got behind a van towing a trailer that had no brake lights to it. I would estimate that on some occasions he was only some 70/80 ft behind said vehicle and that distance varied from second to second for quite a few minutes whist he decided if an overtake was on and it wasn’t but in some instances he was much closer to the van looking for any opportunity to overtake which he should not have been.
Now as it was a de restricted road I would presume again his speed to be in the region of 40 mph plus and as such all his following on position should have been at least 120 ft from the rear of the van. That would have been a whole lot safer than moving forwards and backward or veering from one side to the other side of the road with no or little chance of any overtake. Its by being closer than the safe stopping distance that puts the rider in a dangerous situation should anything untoward should happen that causes the vehicle in front to brake sharply or come to a standstill without actually slowing first.
Always keep the safer stopping distance and forget the overtake if it requires one to
exceed the legal speed limit or is unsafe due to many differing road conditions that make it to dangerous to commit to.
Never ever sacrifice ones safety for the sake of any other expediency or circumstance.
The only problem with that is with supporting advanced training it also involves candidates always being taught to approach closer to the vehicle to be overtaken and in that circumstances they may be committing an offence of riding without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration. Nowadays that considered to be dangerous when one cannot guarantee to stop in the distance seen to be clear .
Are Devitt aware of these circumstances. The now outdated and dangerous practises and procedures where riders are placing themselves at a greater risk of having an accident on all 3 part overtakes.
There must now be hundreds of thousands of riders and drivers trained in this bad and dangerous practise of tailgating and that circumstance of importance they must also be aware of the massive numbers of claims being made to them of Tailgating incidents.
Isn’t it time we stopped this bad and dangerous practise once and for all. The training institutions wont do anything about it. They would rather be like ostriches burying their heads in the ground and maintaining the status quo. Perhaps insurance companies that have to pay out millions as a result of this now out modded training practise could be perhaps see sense and be more willing to take action to reduce not just the danger but dramatically reduce their pay outs as a result.
With comments like that it’s no wonder advanced training can be a hard sell!
We all have personal riding styles and risk tolerances, the act of undertaking any training changes your perception and attitude and that’s a very good start IMO.