ScooterSmart & CommuterSafe. Free Motorcycle Training.

Subject to available funding from the Welsh Assembly Government and Local Authorities.  (Currently, the funding hasn’t been renewed for this scheme).

Free Motorcycle Training  is available under the ‘ScooterSmart’ & ‘CommuterSafe’ schemes.

Initially aimed at Young Riders who have completed a session of Compulsory Basic Training, ScooterSmart was devised to be offered through Schools and Sixth Form Colleges in the Vale of Glamorgan.  Having been involved in the South Wales Police Bikesafe Scheme, I was asked to devise a ‘Bikesafe’ Course but for smaller bikes.

Cardiff Council also took up the schemes and currently are very proactive in promoting and supporting the scheme, and with many of the bike collisions in the City involving riders on their daily commute, the scheme was extended to include larger bikes and for those riders who had gone on to pass their L plate test.

The funding covers a 7 hour hour training day, which starts with a group, classroom based discussion presentation, largely lead by the participants but to include topics such as Filtering, Use of Bus Lanes, junctions, SMIDSYs (the ‘Sorry I Didn’t See You’ syndrome), positioning, observation skills,  defensive riding and more. The remainder of the day is spent out on road, split into matched pairs with your Instructor, and in radio contact for practical on road demonstrations and tuition.

The scheme is available at all training schools in the Cardiff area, but at 1st Class Rider Training we use highly qualified and experienced Instructors, some of who are still serving Traffic Cops, who have extensive experience with dealing with on road issues and difficulties faced by riders on today’s modern busy roads.

We run the classroom session as a mixed group as we find this creates a great learning environment and the sharing of experience between riders is extremely useful.  Riders are then appropriately paired for the road session.

The scheme is aimed at participants using their own bikes (but for a fee, in certain circumstances we can provide a bike. As the scheme is aimed at those who are currently riding, it is preferable that you use your own bike).

The initial ScooterSmart Pilot Scheme, which was devised by us at 1st Class,  took Place at Barry Comprehensive School in 2003, and has been extended to include CommuterSafe, with both the schemes  running side by side in the Cardiff Council area.

For updates on Course Dates with 1st Class Rider Training, visit our ‘1st Class Rider’ Facebook page.  Or text on 07545567273.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Details of other local training schools who may be offering the course can be obtained at Cardiff Road Safety Department, County Hall, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff. CF10 4UW

Other Training Schools who may offer this service will advertise their dates individually and may deliver the scheme in a different format.