A presentation at the inaugural Young Rider Focus conference will showcase an 18-month project to understand how to reduce the risk of collisions and casualties among powered two wheeler riders.
Organised by Road Safety GB and FirstBike, Young Rider Focus will be held in Birmingham on 6 March 2019.
The event was conceived following a survey among road safety professionals which confirmed an appetite for a conference focusing on the key issues faced by 16-25 year-old P2W riders.
Eight presentations have been confirmed to date – including a joint delivery by Tanya Fosdick, head of research at Agilysis and Lorraine Willis, regional road safety coordinator at Highways England.
Tanya Fosdick is an experienced researcher who specialises in translating complex evidence into practice.
With more than a decade of experience in the road safety sector, especially in relation to young drivers and motorcyclists, Tanya seeks to bridge the gap between academia and practitioners to improve the quality of road safety interventions.
Lorraine Willis is currently the regional road safety coordinator at Highways England covering the East of England.
Lorraine’s current role involves developing an incident and casualty reduction plan for the east region, detailing how Highways England’s 2020 target for a 40% reduction in killed and seriously injured can be achieved.
This role also involves working with and supporting local road safety partnerships.
Their joint presentation will explain an 18-month programme of work, carried out by Highways England and road safety partnerships in the east of England, to understand how to reduce motorcycle risk.
As part of the programme, a review was undertaken of all of the motorcycle interventions in the east – examining their evidence base, the target audience compared to KSI figures, and evaluation results of schemes.
Young Rider Focus
Delegate registration for Young Rider Focus is now open – with tickets priced at £125 for Road Safety GB/Academy members, £150 for attendees from public sector, third sector, academia and ADIs, and £175 (all prices plus VAT) for all other attendees.
In addition, there is the option to purchase a joint ticket covering Young Rider Focus and Young Driver Focus 2019, which takes place at the RAC Club, Pall Mall, London on 1 May 2019.
Click here to register to attend or alternatively for more information contact Sally Bartrum (delegate registration) or Nick Rawlings (conference agenda) on 01379 650112.
For more information about sponsoring and/or exhibiting at the event contact either Richard Storrs on 08451 308 853 or Rachael Butler on 07974 186445.
That seems like a personal note to me Sandy. For which I thank you.
With you being within the system I believe that you have knowledge and speak from within the institutions and can see the problems under a different light and from a different perspective. I think that it needs to be read by more and perhaps that’s why it has been published. So often I have also come across the paths or those that will not, for whatever reason, listen to common sense.
Its extremely difficult if not impossible to change the opinion of anyone who has a vested or financial interest in what is or has become an acceptable practise or on principal to change what has become accepted as the status quo. So nothing is going to get better its not without a change in the minds of those that can do something about it.
That said as a prime example of poor choices and changes just look at the debacle that was and still is motorcycle safety and training over the last 30 years. Error after error following error.
I learned to ride defensively with the RAC/ACU in the 60’s when it was one of very few training organisations filled with good hearted volunteers trying hard to reduce the carnage on the roads in those days.
I wish you well in your future endeavours and if I can help, just ask. I will also do what I can.
R.Craven
+2
Dear R Craven,
I’ve had head to head with Government agencies before. I have been threatened with removal of my instructors accreditation, because I have questioned barefaced lies. I may be naive, but I was always told growing up that you can never get into trouble for speaking the truth? Except when it doesn’t suit political agendas perhaps?
I always remember when the BMF were asked to ‘join’ in the Government discussions regarding the future testing / licensing of motorcyclists. I wrote to the gentleman who was going to represent the interest of the BMF, that in my opinion by sitting on this panel, any anti motorcycling legislative outcome would be legitimised by his presence at that table? I was lambasted by this individual, for my ‘revolutionary’ outlook in dealing with the government or its agents? I understand that he later resigned from that particular committee siting that ‘the government representatives ignored all advice offered from rider representative & training organisations, as they h the government had already an agenda to which they were not willing to deviate from’!
I have also questioned the inclusion of the AA & RAC in Government plans for future plans & legislation PTWUS? Considering that these are institutions no longer owned by their members. They are no more than insurance companies who make profits for shareholders? I was advised that they are still viewed as ‘statutory bodies’ who have a vested interest on road safety & driver legislation? They have not been so for over 2 decades or more! When I consider the actual impact of what we do nationally for L riders, in the arena for their safety and others on our roads, it really does amount to the rearranging the deck chairs on the RMS Titanic. A futile exercise, but on casual observation looks productive, to all those who no nothing of its ultimate outcome.
Sandy Allan, Aberdeen
0
Well said Sandy. My sentiments exactly but put better than I could. I thought I was a wolf howling in the night without anyone howling back.
A word of warning though. Politics come into play. You will find that you are going up against many institutions that don’t appear to want to change. Some people within them may agree with your sentiments but feel impotent and that they cant support any anti establishment thinking. On the other hand hose in control of such establishments wont have themselves challenged and change anything as that would show a possible weakness on their part.
So good luck with your ideas to make changes. I wish you well and support you 100%.
R.Craven
+2
As a motorcycle instructor for the past 33 years, in schools with The British Institute of Traffic Education Research , RAC / ACU, Star Rider & BMF RTS. I have been involved in basic right through to advanced level. One thing that has always irked me is the acceptance of ignoring ‘L’ plated riders. Yes we have CBT, ‘Compulsory Basic Training’.
It has evolved since its introduction in the early 90’s. Prior to that you could turn up at a dealers and pay your money and then legally ride out and collide with a wall, a bollard, a car or the road, so before anyone rants that the training is better than it used to be? It is. Anything is better than nothing? But what happens to ‘L’ riders after receiving approximately 5 hours riding on a site, then a further minimum of 2 hours on the road? Your novice rider is then let loose on the public road. Then nothing. They can ride for 2 years, until they then have to complete another CBT from end to end? If they have the funds they can train for the full bike test, but unless you’re really desperate to ride a more powerful bike & carry a passenger legally, then their is very little incentive!
No safety initiatives for ‘L’ plated PTWU’s? No Bike Safe courses with a Class I or II Police Rider! No welcome at an IAM local Bike section.
Yet aren’t these the very individuals who are being injured or killed in RTC’s? These are your statistics. Yet they are being ignored, whilst people who claim to be experts wander around scratching their heads, asking why is it that accidents are higher on this road user group? Oh and ‘training to pass’ the current bike test is the other ‘main contributing factor’ to full licence holders. Trust me when I say that anyone who rides a motorcycle to the method taught to pass the bike test, is an organ donor in waiting. Harsh? I don’t think so? I have seen the problems up close. You want to look at reducing accident figures?
Stop listening to ‘theoretical thinkers’, and start making rider / driver training a lifelong commitment to those who drive on our highways at whatever capacity. Time the government actually did something positive for the PTWU’s in this country. Try starting, by taking responsibility?
Sandy Allan, Aberdeen
+2
Further to my last contribution I have no doubt that there are a number of good and productive local initiatives and interventions undertaken by a few Councils but nothing as yet that has been taken up nationwide.
If something is working well and there is specific positive evidence in any one local area that it does work then why is it not being shared. Then, as it has an increased take up there would be a greater possibility that something that works could be taken up Nationally.
R.Craven
+1
The last one I attended, although well intended, was very much a local affair and there was a lot of talk and little subsequent action. I hope that this, in a more national arena, will have more bite and produce some meat on the bone so to speak.
I look forward as to what comes out of it as there are still too many young and old riders suffering some degree of neglect when it comes to training and safety initiatives.
R.Craven
+1