This paper reports the outcome of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) consultation exercise about modernising compulsory basic training courses (CBT) for motorcyclists. The consultation was held between 10 March and 21 April 2015. The DVSA Business Plan for 2014/15 committed to ‘improving the safety of young motorcycle riders by reviewing the compulsory basic training’. The aim of the consultation was to seek views to improve standards within the rider training industry and ensure learners receive training that is tailored to their individual learning needs and better prepares them for riding on public roads. The consultation also sought views about the process by which trainers qualify and proposed changes to the arrangements to quality assure trainers and training bodies. When CBT is tailored to suit the trainee’s learning needs, it provides learner riders with the basic skills they need to prepare them to ride unaccompanied on the road more effectively than CBT courses that do not adopt this approach. We are encouraged by the responses from trainers that many of them already recognise and deliver a client centred approach to training. Many trainers already discuss with trainees the extent of their theory knowledge and riding experience before the course starts. These trainers have ensured the trainee knows what to expect during the course and that a CBT certificate will only be issued when they have demonstrated the appropriate competence, which might mean returning for further training. DVSA aims to ensure this approach to training is implemented by all of the industry, recognising those trainers who do so and helping other trainers to achieve the same exemplar standards of training. The changes to the standards check will identify those trainers who persist in a ‘one size fits all’ approach to training, we believe these trainers are more likely to issue the CBT certificate because a trainee has completed the required elements of the course rather than ensuring they have developed the knowledge, understanding and competency to ride unsupervised. Those trainers we suspect are failing to comply with regulations or delivering poor training will be targeted with unannounced visits. We recognise changing the culture that CBT is a one day course which guarantees a pass and certificate at the end of the day will not happen overnight. However, we believe that by improving the information available to trainees to ensure they are better informed about what to expect from a CBT course, will enable them to choose a trainer who can ensure they are fully prepared to ride independently. We hope this will encourage them to proceed to full licence acquisition and a continuous lifelong learning approach to their motorcycling. On 10 March 2015, DVSA published a Consultation Paper to promote the consultation, we: • wrote to key motoring stakeholders, • promoted the consultation on the Government website, • sent e-mail alerts to those trainers who have signed up to receive them. The consultation was conducted online. The closing date for responding was 21 April 2015. There were 327 responses to the online consultation. In addition, we received 23 emails, responding fully or providing other comments. Those responding included: motorcycle trainers, Approved Training Body (ATB) authority holders, motorcyclists — CBT holders and fully licenced, motorcycle training industry interests and road safety interests. (Author/publisher)
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