Interactive and Videos – Lack of Coordinated Safety
View videos and interactive websites from GB and Australia including probably the best motorcycle safety video made, GB’s “The Perfect Day”.
But where are specific training and safety messages for Northern Ireland riders?
There was a limited TV advert running up to and after the North West 200 road races in May and June, which was never made available on the web (we asked!); the Environment Minister responsible for road safety issues the odd press release on motorcycle safety; the DOE has hired a consultant to do research on motorcycle casualties in order to put together a road safety strategy.
What is available in Northern Ireland to improve riding skills and get the message out to riders about the dangers of the road?
Thanks to volunteers and PSNI who have set up initiatives such as:
Bikesafe assessments Click Here
IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) and RoSPA both offering advanced riding, along with professional trainers.
There is Ride It Right www.rideitright.org which engages in dialogue with local and regional motorcycle groups and organisations, council representatives and the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland), including Bikesafe, to give background information on safety from a motorcyclist’s point of view.
Riders are interested in reducing motorcycle casualties, but the politicians “On The Hill” see absolute figures and attention grabbing headlines on the news and in the papers – they talk the talk – but they certainly don’t walk the walk.
The DOE’s Road Safety NI web site www.roadsafetyni.gov.uk is uncoordinated with no safety message for motorcycling.
Apart from an out of date voluntary register of Approved Motorcycle Instructors has now been closed pending the introduction of the new statutory Register of Approved Motorcycle Instructors, with a new scheme scheduled to open in late 2010.
Unlike the rest of the civilized world, in Northern Ireland there is no legal requirement to be an Approved Motorcycle Instructor and anyone can charge for giving instruction on riding a motorcycle.
What a state of affairs!
In the rest of the UK we have the likes of the Enhanced Rider Scheme (ERS) – Great Britain Click Here and from the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) – Better Biking the official training and aid DVD – Click Here
May be it’s all happening behind the scenes, maybe the DOE has a strategy that we are not aware of, but now – it’s like the mushroom syndrome – riders are being kept in the dark and fed manure.
What we do not have is a specific joined up motorcycle safety message.
It’s not rocket science – simple messages about attitude, skills, relevant training and knowing the limits of your own mortality.
View videos from UK – Click Here
View videos from Around The World – Click Here
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