I attended a joint Bike Secure and Biker Down workshop on the Joint Emergency Companies Academy in Stevenage run by BCH Roads Policing, Stevenage which is the Joint Protecting Companies for Bedfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Constabularies and Herts Hearth & Rescue.
Within the morning we had the Bike Secure workshop which consisted of three components:
- On-line eLearning (90 minutes)
- Idea workshop
- Noticed experience
Bike Secure Workshop
Previous to the workshop I obtained an electronic mail from Bike Secure with particulars of how the course would run and in addition a hyperlink to the three movies they request you to look at previous to the course. The net movies have been created at first of 2020 as a part of an initiative to standardise the course, which means that in concept you now obtain the identical content material whichever drive space you attend.
The three movies include 9 eLearning modules, every module is 10-Quarter-hour lengthy. Don’t fear, you don’t want to look at all of the modules in a single go!
So what are the modules then?
- Behaviour & Perspective
- The System of Motorbike Management
- Remark
- Cornering
- Overtaking
- Filtering
- Junctions
- Group Driving
- Hazards
It might appear to be a variety of info to soak up watching the movies however a variety of what is alleged is smart and I feel we just about do a most of what’s coated with out really realising that we’re doing it.
In case you like, it makes you’re taking a step again and take into consideration your driving and the way/why we do what we do when driving and simply the quantity of knowledge we’re taking in.
So I arrived for my workshop and signed in. PC Mark Fairclough was heading the course as we speak. Mark has been a police officer for 14 years and has been a sophisticated rider for 8 years and has lately turn into a VIP rider. Mark additionally holds a RoSPA diploma in motorbike driving, is an teacher on the DVSA enhanced rider scheme and presents one to at least one bike protected programs.
Mark gave a short overview of what we should always count on from the day.
To start out with we went across the room and launched ourselves, what bikes we have been driving and why we have been doing the workshop. Mark stated the truth that we have been there meant that we had taken step one to turning into a greater, safer rider.
The Bike Secure workshop is predicated on the Police Motorbike Roadcraft handbook. The purpose of the course is to cowl our data of the freeway code and to grasp how our behaviour and angle impacts our driving.
To present you a bit little bit of historical past right here, after WWII a variety of the those who left the military obtained jobs as law enforcement officials, firefighters and ambulance crew. They have been handed keys to police automobiles, fireplace engines and ambulances having had no formal coaching of tips on how to drive them. Consequently there have been a variety of casualties so it was determined to introduce driver coaching.
Individuals from completely different areas have been consulted equivalent to racing drivers, and a set of pointers have been drawn up, this was often called Highway Sensible. This developed over time and the system used on the core of superior driving is named IPSGA : Data, Place, Velocity, Gear and Acceleration. The competencies framed by IPSGA are Core Driving Expertise, Bends, Junctions and Roundabouts, Overtaking, Motorways and Twin Carriageways and Sluggish Driving.
A truth for us to consider:
- 2% of UK street customers are bikers
- 20% of bikers as street customers are killed or severely injured annually
- 50% of these collisions contain simply the bike
Mark stated that we ought to be fascinated by our mindset earlier than going out on the bike, psychological stresses will have an effect on our driving. We must always acknowledge that our angle can have an effect on our driving. We have to perceive and respect our vulnerability as a rider and be capable to study from our errors and experiences.
We talked in regards to the freeway code. This is applicable to everybody!
One query that usually will get requested is ‘Is it legislation to put on protecting gear while driving a motorbike?’ Based on guidelines 83-88 of the Freeway Code guidelines for motorcyclists:
- No, the one authorized requirement is that each the rider and the pillion should all the time put on a protecting helmet.
- They’re suggested to put on eye protectors, which should adjust to rules
- Ear safety ought to be thought-about
- ‘Sturdy boots, gloves and appropriate clothes might assist to guard you in case you are concerned in a collision.’ That is an advisement.
- Rule 86 means that riders make themselves as seen as potential from the facet, in addition to the entrance and rear, and that they might put on ‘a lightweight or brightly colored helmet and fluorescent clothes or strips’.
- Rule 87 says that when driving at the hours of darkness, you need to ‘put on reflective clothes or strips to enhance your visibility.’
We then talked about every of the 9 modules from the web movies that we watched earlier than approaching the workshop. Mark went into extra element on every of the themes giving insights, hints, ideas and recommendation. It’s this type of info that I feel is invaluable.
You’ll be able to watch or learn up on these areas your self however I feel once we are speaking to different folks or listening to the experiences of others, that is once we study essentially the most. Others within the group have been in a position to recount their experiences too and discussions then came about. I actually love this side about workshops.
Biker Down Workshop
Within the afternoon, we had the Biker Down workshop.
What’s Biker Down I hear you ask?
Hertfordshire Hearth & Rescue Service have what is named a Hearth Bike Group which is “Run by volunteers devoted to lowering the variety of motorcyclists killed or severely injured on Hertfordshire roads”.
Hertfordshire should not the one county to have a fireplace bike crew, just about all of the companies do throughout the nation so you need to be capable to discover one close to you, Hertfordshire is my nearest one.
This crew of volunteers placed on varied completely different programs:
Assessed Rides: these are provided by employees certified to IAM nationwide observer stage, the aim of which is to attain the next:
- Enhance talent ranges
- Studying alternative
- Recommendation on additional coaching
- Constructive critique of present driving stage
It is a free service to all riders which is obtainable to all ages and driving skills, from learners to skilled riders.
I had one to at least one coaching with one in every of these guys not lengthy after I handed my take a look at as I used to be having points with cornering and I’ve to say this extra coaching helped me a lot, not solely did my cornering enhance considerably but additionally my driving.
Rider Expertise Coaching: certified observers present supervised actions to advertise safer driving expertise for brand spanking new and skilled riders within the following areas:
Sluggish Driving : study gradual driving methods, enhancing manoeuvring expertise and management resulting in safer driving and confidence in visitors circumstances;
Cornering Expertise: this teaches the science of cornering, masking counter steering, throttle management, enabling understanding the physics of motorbike management.
Schooling: fireplace bike volunteers assist the street security work of the Herts Highway Security Partnership which incorporates Herts County Council, Herts Police and Hearth Service by supporting the next actions:
- Open days
- Trip outs
- Neighborhood occasions
- Faculty visits
- Lectures
- Highway security occasions
Biker Down: it is a free course giving info on what to do on the scene of a motorbike accident equivalent to:
- Scene administration;
- Life saving actions;
- Science of being protected.
Immediately’s Biker Down workshop was run by Tony Smith, who’s the Group Chief, along with his very pretty assistant, Andy.
The Biker Down course was initially put collectively by Jim Sanderson from Kent Hearth & Rescue Service some 22 years in the past. Jim witnessed a motorbike accident while off responsibility and used his personal coaching as a fireplace fighter to help on the scene.
Jim determined that that he ought to share his expertise and data with fellow bikers, therefore the Biker Down scheme was born.
Tony defined that in as we speak’s session there can be three components to this course:
- First on the scene
- Fundamental life assist
- The considering biker
Andy can be guiding us via what we should always do if we have been to return upon the scene of accident that has simply occurred. There are 4 essential areas:
- Priorities
- Scene administration
- Life saving actions
- Handover
The principle factor we should always bear in mind is to not panic – means simpler stated than executed! We have to take management of the scenario, see who else is on the scene who could possibly help us and keep in mind that early motion can save a life.
We should keep in mind that the scene of an accident is a harmful place to be! There’s transferring visitors, there could also be fireplace, particles on the street, different folks transferring round, antagonistic climate circumstances.
Curiously, Andy stated we should always preserve our personal crash helmet and gloves on to start out with as this can defend our personal face and fingers from the opportunity of being injured till we all know the scenario, there might be the opportunity of biohazards and never simply chemical compounds but additionally (and look away at this bit in case you are squeamish) blood and guts!
We must always make certain the scene is protected however should all the time contemplate our personal security first, in spite of everything you aren’t going to be any assist to anybody should you injure your self attempting to get to somebody with out first checking that it’s protected to take action.
If there are different folks round, designate them with jobs to do for instance, visitors administration, in search of different casualties, calling the emergency companies and so forth.
A high tip from Andy is {that a} biker ought to keep down till a paramedic arrives and may assess their accidents and determine how finest to proceed with the casualty.
If the biker’s crash helmet has obtained vital harm then ideally this could go along with the casualty within the ambulance so the docs can have a look at the impacted areas.
One other high tip is that if the casualty is acutely aware while you first communicate to them, get their private info – full title, date of beginning, subsequent of kin and so forth and if potential write this down. This fashion if the casualty passes out you might have their info which you can move on to the paramedics.
The ultimate module, the considering biker, was a video that we watched. This seems to be on the means the mind interprets knowledge despatched by the attention in order that what’s seen isn’t all the time seen, for instance, movement camouflage, saccadic masking and looming.
The video presents constructive recommendation on tips on how to profit from our possibilities of being seen. It places the purpose over fairly clearly that hi-vis clothes, day driving lights and retro-reflective supplies don’t assure we’ll be seen by different street customers. Very attention-grabbing video certainly.
In order that was each the workshops accomplished. Subsequent was my noticed experience. Oo er!!!
Noticed Trip
My observer was Sgt Russ Jones, who I met up with one afternoon. After a normal chit chat Russ requested about my driving historical past, the bikes I rode and the way usually I rode to assemble an concept of what sort of driving I do.
Russ defined that we might go for about an hour’s experience, cease for a espresso (I used to be positively on board with this side) so Russ might give me some observations about my driving and if essential tips to work on, after which we might experience again and Russ would give me suggestions on the session.
Okay. Nothing to fret about! I made a decision that if I attempted to overlook that Russ was a police officer who was going to be following me and was only a biker and we have been going for a experience, then hopefully I wouldn’t be as nervous.
Yeah, that solely type of labored. I knew I used to be a bit nervous going however I suppose that’s solely pure. We sat down for a espresso and I waited in anticipation for what Russ needed to say.
All in all a superb experience (phew!) There have been a number of events the place I overlapped my gears and braking. Russ want to see me strategy junctions slower with the intention to elevate my view with the concept being that I preserve the bike transferring as a substitute of stopping. Try to preserve the momentum going and this can make for a smoother exit.
Russ would additionally wish to see me straight lining bends if potential when protected to take action and the view is accessible – the bike is most steady when it’s upright.
Finally I did a protected experience.
Okay, that wasn’t so dangerous, I used to be fairly happy with myself about these observations.
After espresso, we headed again to the bikes for our experience again. My nerves had disappeared by now and I felt I had an excellent experience again, I used to be extra relaxed and I felt Russ might actually observe how I really experience.
I had put into apply what Russ stated about approaching junctions slower and holding the momentum going, once we parked up I stated to Russ that I might really feel how a lot smoother my driving was at junctions.
My suggestions feedback have been:
Junctions: Open your view and take strategy slower, purpose to maintain the bike transferring.
Cornering: General good positioning. Contemplate straight lining when protected and think about is accessible. Bear in mind your bike is most steady when upright and in a straight line at a continuing regular velocity.
Filtering: No alternatives.
Overtaking: Good overtakes on our return from Thame. Good use of three stage overtake. Attempt to not overtake right into a slower velocity restrict.
Consciousness: Contemplate alternate place when street floor is poor.
Velocity: Good use of velocity.
Controls: Good.
Indicators & indicators: Good.
Perspective & accountability: Good.
Russ would put my driving stage between ranges A and B.
Stage A is: a excessive stage of driving capacity demonstrating constantly protected and accountable driving in all key areas. A properly structured and executed experience giving proof that systematic planning is being employed constantly and mechanically.
Stage 2 is: a superb stage of driving capacity demonstrating protected and accountable driving. A structured experience based mostly on systematic planning with few minor errors.
I’m pleased with that. In actual fact I’m fairly happy with myself. Just a few issues for me to work on however I feel you may all the time enhance in your driving and be open to studying new issues. We are able to all attempt to turn into higher, safer riders.
I’d similar to to say thanks to Russ, Mark, Tony and Andy for his or her time. I actually loved doing the Bike Secure and Biker Down workshops, I discovered them actually attention-grabbing and extremely helpful.
If you’re fascinated by doing both or each of those programs, then do it, I positively suggest all bikers doing these programs regardless of your age or driving expertise.
BK
