Initial Rider Training for Motorcyclists

Initial Rider Training (IRT) is the key element to motorcycling. Recent publications and reviews tell us that wearing an airbag, having a gadget to inform you that there is another vehicle approaching as well as other warning signals and technology may improve your chances of survival.

There is also mention of post licence training to hone your skills. But there is almost no reference to initial rider training. In its wisdom (?) the European Union gave member states the option of testing or training for novice riders in order to get their A2 licence when the 3rd Driving Licence Directive was made law.

What the majority of Members States opted for was testing, because it was cheaper and easier to control. Unfortunately what this did was to ensure that novice riders were taught to pass a test but not to survive.

This meant that young (and old) riders are not being taught about hazard awareness, or simply how to survive on the roads.

In 2007 the report “Initial Rider Training” was published in English and later was published in ten other languages. See here: Initial Rider Training (IRT) Downloads  Sadly the actual reports (apart from the English version on the IRT website) are published on the EU publications page and are very difficult to find – so “good luck!”

The Executive Summary of the report

Training is recognised by the motorcycling community as a key element to improve motorcycle safety. OECD members recently confirmed this view, putting training programmes on the top of their priority list : “Countries have different training needs, based on their vehicle fleet and training resources. Motorcycle training should therefore build on existing standards, focus on risk awareness and risk avoidance, and develop an understanding of the rider/motorcycle capacities and limitations.”

The efficacy of rider training within the European Union, indeed the very existence of rider training in a number of Member States, are areas of consideration that have manifested as a consequence of the development of a harmonised European driving licence. Whilst the means by which a person acquires the knowledge and skills to satisfy the defined criteria is not yet addressed, it is an area of considerable interest.

The need to understand the different and distinct approaches adopted in Member States were the starting point. The views and the need of the Rider project (1997) identified rider training up to the standard required to pass an official test of competency that was applying in Member States, and categorised and evaluated the various distinct approaches. The following project Developing a European Approach to the Initial Training of Motorcyclists (2008) then considered the acknowledged problems of pre-licence rider training in Europe.

The relationship between newly qualified rider overconfidence, failing to recognise hazards and take risks and pre licence training that has overly focussed on machine control skills, has been recognised for a long time. However, today’s training programmes overwhelmingly concentrates on machine control skills to the detriment of hazard awareness and rider attitude and behaviour. An innovative approach was therefore developed by acknowledged experts.

The programme was also structured in a modular and pedagogic way for use in all kind of training circumstances.

This new approach to training delivers machine controls skills in the context of their relevance to the hazardous environment of today’s roads, with an understanding of the rider having a primary responsibility for his or her own safety, a real improvement to much of the pre licence training presently available to riders within the European Union.

The IRT Project also considered the innovative area of e-Coaching to improving initial rider training, in exposing riders to virtual hazardous situations without putting them at risk. The e-Coaching approach is viewed by the project experts as having the potential to make a significant contribution to safety of riders.

Four main areas of objectives

The essential elements of a training programme:

The project will firstly seek to identify the essential elements of initial rider training programmes that are required for a person to qualify for a licence and be able to ride a motorcycle safely. They will include necessary and relevant machine control skills, a knowledge and understanding of traffic rules and regulations, the importance of attitude and behaviour and hazard recognition, avoidance or management.

Delivering training in a range of social circumstances:

The second area of objectives will consider the differing demographic and economic circumstances that exist within the European Union and seek to develop and recommend different approaches for delivering quality initial rider training in the differing circumstances.

e-Coaching – evaluating the potential of interactive games technology:

An evaluation of the potential of digital interactive games technology to assist in developing a rider’s understanding of the importance of hazard awareness and avoidance techniques and of rider attitude and behaviour is the third area of objectives. The project will make recommendations to the European Commission on the potential of e-Coaching and the ways in which it could be developed.

The way forward:

The fourth objective of the Initial Rider Training project will be to recommend to the European Commission a strategy for the development of the identified essential elements and the means of delivering the training, including the e-Coaching aspects, into a comprehensive, cohesive and cost-effective European Initial Rider Training initiative.

Four deliverables

To consider and deliver conclusions and recommendations on:

• the essential elements of a model European initial rider training programme;
• how a model European initial rider training programme could be utilised in different social and economic circumstances;
• the potential of e-Coaching (e-Learning) to support initial rider training and how virtual training approaches could be developed;
• the development of the essential elements into a comprehensive, cohesive and cost-effective European initial rider training initiative.

For more information about the programme, see here: www.initialridertraining.eu

Elaine Hardy PhD