MCIA Elite Rider Training Initiative
At the end of April, the Motorcycle Industry Association Ltd, in conjunction with a number of organisations and bodies, launched the Elite Rider Programme. This initiative aims to increase the number of riders undertaking further training and, it says, ‘to motivate riders to ride considerately toward other road users and the environment.’
As we all know, motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable on the road with some 20% of all road users killed or injured being motorcyclists. When you consider that motorcycles represent just 1% of all road miles travelled, that becomes a truly frightening statistic.
To support the Elite Rider Training Initiative, the Elite Rider Hub is being launched on the internet. This platform will be, in the modern parlance, a ‘one-stop shop’ where riders will be able to find a wealth of information and support to improve their skills. The Hub contains information and contact details of the nationally available post-test rider training schemes, with advice for riders and links to book training.
Now, you may feel that you don’t need extra training, that you have been riding since God was a boy and that you are happy with your road skills. But, let’s face it, all of us could do with, at the very least, the occasional refresher course to both sharpen those skills and weed out sloppy habits that are so easy to pick up. Anything that helps you become just a little bit safer on the road should be welcomed.
We at OBM feel that there is also another side to this scheme. The more riders who are prepared to participate in the scheme, the more likelihood of the Government undertaking measures that are of benefit to all motorcyclists, from improving infrastructure to training other road users. If we are not seen to help ourselves, will the powersthat-be bother to help us?
If nothing else, it is worth taking a look at www.eliteriderhub.co.uk to see what’s on offer. Why not get your local club to take on a course and generate a sense of camaraderie about extra training? You never know, you might learn something and you might just have a good time doing it!