« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Evaluation Of Bikesafe Scotland
CHAPTER SEVEN: ISSUES FOR THE FUTURE
7.1 In addition to highlighting specific strengths and weaknesses of the current Bikesafe Scotland scheme, the qualitative interviews with stakeholders also raised a variety of issues of relevance to the future development of safety initiatives targeting motorcyclists. Issues discussed included:
- who should run assessed rides?
- is there scope for involving additional stakeholders in initiatives like Bikesafe Scotland?
- should Bikesafe or some other scheme be offered to motorcyclists as an alternative to prosecution?
- does the need for Bikesafe indicate the need to address weaknesses in the current system of compulsory training? and
- should motorcycle safety initiatives target riders of scooters as well as motorcylists?
Who should run assessed rides?
7.2 As discussed in Chapter Five, above, respondents from the qualitative interviews viewed the involvement of qualified police riders in running the Assessed Ride programme as one of Bikesafe Scotland's major strengths. Police riders are well-respected by many sections of the motorcycling community - one provider of alternative motorcycle training suggested that the police are seen to offer a level of expertise that a civilian trainer simply could not provide.
7.3 However, balanced against this is the fact that running the Bikesafe Scotland assessed rides represents a major draw on police resources, with many officers giving up their spare time to help run Bikesafe. Further, as discussed in Chapter Five, while the fact the course is run by the police may be a draw for some sections of the motorcycle community, for others who are more suspicious of the police it may be a deterrent. This appears to leave Bikesafe Scotland with a 'Catch 22' situation in which police involvement is a major draw for some participants, while at the same time it is the reason others stay away.
7.4 The obvious alternative would be to involve trainers from the private or voluntary sectors in running Bikesafe or similar schemes. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) and Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) (both registered charities) already offer advanced riding tests and have numerous affiliated groups or training schools in Scotland. BMF also offer a range of rider training courses, including 'refresher' courses for 'born again bikers' and have a number of training centres based in Scotland. Involving these kind of organisations in Bikesafe or similar schemes was seen as an option by some respondents, including alternative training providers themselves, particularly if the scheme was backed by the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and the government. Government backing was seen as important to encouraging sufficient alternative training providers to become involved.
7.5 However, many respondents identified further difficulties (in addition to the loss of expert police riders) with such a scheme. Firstly, private training providers would not be able to offer such provision totally free of charge, which may deter some potential participants from taking part. Secondly, while voluntary organisations like the IAM do offer assessments free of charge, it was suggested by a representative from IAM that IAM volunteers might struggle to cope if demand for their services increased very substantially, while several private trainers noted the shortage of advanced motorcycle trainers in some areas of Scotland. This suggests that even if other organisations became involved in Bikesafe Scotland there may still be a resource problem if participation increased.
7.6 Finally, it was suggested that involving private or voluntary training providers might reduce the credibility of Bikesafe Scotland. While all car driving instructors are accredited by the DSA, there is no similar government approved list of riding instructors. There would therefore be an issue over how you establish that private trainers who became involved in running a public sponsored motorcycle safety scheme had the necessary qualifications and experience to do so. This problem may not be insurmountable however, since as noted in Chapter Two the government has announced plans for the statutory registration of motorcycle instructors (see DfT, 2000).
Involving other stakeholders
7.7 Another issue for the future development of Bikesafe Scotland and other initiatives targeting motorcyclists is the extent to which there is scope for involving other stakeholders in these initiatives. Interviews with representatives from MAG, BMF and Black Horse Finance asked them about their reasons for becoming involved with Bikesafe and what this involvement entailed, while interviews with motorcycle retailers, insurers and training providers explored the scope for involving other stakeholders in the future.
MAG, BMF and Black Horse Finance
7.8 Bikesafe Scotland is a multi-agency initiative and representatives from MAG, BMF and Black Horse Finance are already involved with Bikesafe through its Working Group. BMF and MAG were involved from very early on in lobbying ACPOS to approve the setting-up of Bikesafe Scotland. The aim of their involvement was two-fold - to enable bikers' views to feed into the initiative, and to lend the initiative credibility, since there was some concern that motorcyclists would not participate in a police-led initiative.
7.9 MAG was involved in publicising Bikesafe Scotland in its early stages, primarily through their newspaper, which is distributed to all MAG members and handed out to motorcyclists at bike shows, but also through local MAG groups. MAG's Scottish representative suggested that through their membership network, MAG were able to publicise Bikesafe to motorcyclists that the police might not otherwise have been able to reach. BMF publicise Bikesafe Scotland primarily through talking to motorcyclists about advanced training at bike shows and club events, where Bikesafe is presented as an option alongside IAM, ROSPA and other training courses.
7.10 Black Horse Finance has been involved in Bikesafe Scotland primarily through printing leaflets and providing advice on possible sponsors from the motorcycle industry. They view their involvement as giving a reasonable profile for the company at relatively little cost.
Awareness of Bikesafe Scotland among additional potential stakeholders?
7.11 Interviewees from outside the Scottish Police forces and the Bikesafe Working Group were asked whether they were currently aware of Bikesafe Scotland and whether they were involved in the scheme in any way.
7.12 Most of the providers of alternative motorcycle training we spoke to had heard of Bikesafe Scotland and were very enthusiastic about the scheme, with the exception of one trainer who suggested that he lost potential customers to Bikesafe. Most also said they recommended Bikesafe to other people, although none of the trainers interviewed had actually been on the course themselves. Awareness of Bikesafe was also high among the motorcycle retailers we spoke to. All 7 had heard of Bikesafe, although their level of knowledge was variable.
7.13 Two representatives from insurance companies who specialise in motorcycle insurance were interviewed. One had heard of the Bikesafe scheme operated by some of the English police forces, although not Bikesafe Scotland specifically, while the other had never heard of Bikesafe.
Interest in promoting Bikesafe Scotland?
7.14 Respondents were asked how they would feel about becoming involved with Bikesafe Scotland or similar public schemes promoting motorcycle safety, and what sort of support they felt they might be able to offer. The scope for involving private training providers in running schemes like Bikesafe is discussed above. Retailers and insurers saw their role primarily in terms of either promoting Bikesafe to customers or offering financial support of some kind, either by sponsoring the scheme itself or offering discounts to Bikesafe participants.
7.15 Some retailers were already involved in promoting Bikesafe Scotland, either through posters and leaflets or through customer evenings where the police come to the shop and talk about various aspects of motorcycle safety with recent customers. One retailer had loaned bikes to the police to put on display at Bikesafe Scotland events. Other retailers who were not currently involved in Bikesafe said they would be interested in promoting it, but would need to be approached by the police to do so.
7.16 One retailer said that he had previously been involved in Bikesafe Scotland through customer evenings, but that this had stopped a few years back and he was not aware the scheme still existed. He felt that Bikesafe only happened sporadically in his area and, while he would like to help more, he wanted to see a more consistent approach to the scheme. Another suggested that while they don't normally get involved with things that are not of direct benefit to the business, if Bikesafe or any other scheme became something that the police, the Local Authority or the motorcycling associations promoted heavily they would have to look at supporting it.
7.17 These comments suggest that while some retailers are already involved in promoting Bikesafe to customers, there is scope for involving others. However, the willingness of businesses to get involved may depend partly on how Bikesafe is perceived by retailers - is it a consistent, long-term initiative that is fully supported by the police and others? - and partly on the capacity of Bikesafe representatives to make and retain contact with different retailers in their area.
7.18 Neither of the insurance companies we spoke to were actively involved in supporting Bikesafe or any other safety initiatives, although one had previously sponsored the motorcycle theory guide. Both stressed that any financial support they offered would have to be commercially viable for them. One suggested that they might consider supporting publicity material if they could be named as a sponsor in order to advertise their business.
Discounts for Bikesafe Scotland participants?
7.19 Retailers and insurers were both asked whether they would consider offering discounts to customers who had taken part in the Bikesafe Scotland Assessed Ride programme. None of the retailers interviewed currently offered discounts for Bikesafe participants, although 3 said they would consider it if they knew more about Bikesafe. However, others would not offer discounts, either because they already offer discounts for membership of bike clubs or for other advanced training courses and feel that these discounts cover all their target customer groups, or because they do not feel that discounts would be viable from a business perspective.
7.20 The insurance companies we interviewed were both insurance brokers rather than underwriters. Both had already negotiated discounts for customers for different kinds of advanced training or qualifications, including things like The Edge, Honda MAC, Advanced Police Motorcycling qualifications, BMF Blue Riband, ROSPA Gold Standard and IAM Advanced Riding Test. One also arranged discounts for members of various motorcycle owners clubs (BMW etc.). However, it was suggested that in terms of a scheme like Bikesafe Scotland it would be better for the organisers to contact individual insurance underwriters or the Association of British Insurers directly. Insurance brokers are only able to negotiate discounts for Bikesafe participants who use that broker, and not for all customers of a particular underwriter.
7.21 For an insurance broker to negotiate a discount for Bikesafe participants, they would need evidence that they would get a reasonable number of enquiries relating to Bikesafe. Police forces elsewhere in the UK have managed to secure discounts for Bikesafe participants - for example, Bikesafe Northern Ireland participants can get 10% off Equity Red Star insurance policies through Adelaide Insurance. This suggests there is some scope for looking at ways to make Bikesafe financially attractive to participants, which may be one way of encouraging more motorcyclists from hard-to-reach target groups to attend.
Alternatives to prosecution?
7.22 The issue of how to engage with hard-to-reach target groups, particularly those who may be classed as 'dangerous riders' who are most at risk of accident involvement, led some respondents to discuss whether Bikesafe or another scheme should be offered to riders as an alternative to prosecution. Driver Improvement schemes for car drivers have been operating in England and Wales for over 10 years and a similar scheme was recently piloted in West Lothian. The West Lothian scheme allowed the Procurator Fiscal to divert drivers charged with careless driving to a retraining course operated by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (at a charge of around 95 to the participant) instead of prosecution.
7.23 Northumbria police force began a similar scheme for motorcyclists in April 2002. Their 'Weekender' initiative involves issuing all motorcyclists who are involved in incidents to which the police are called with 'yellow' or 'red' cards. 'Yellow cards' are issued for incidents that do not actually involve an accident or a major offence - e.g. inappropriate cornering or overtaking. Three different yellow cards have been devised for the 3 most common forms of inappropriate riding - bad cornering, overtaking and bike control. The 3 leaflets outline the problem, give tips for avoiding it, and give contact details for organisations that offer advanced motorcycle training. The 'red card' is issued to motorcyclists involved in minor motorcycle accidents, and offers them training as an alternative to prosecution. They are referred to the Local Authority (who also run Northumbria's Driver Improvement Scheme) and are required to take a two-day training course costing 155 or to face prosecution. By November 2002, Northumbria police had issued around 50 yellow cards and eight red cards.
7.24 There was support among interviewees, particularly among advanced training providers, for some such diversionary scheme for motorcyclists in Scotland (although several respondents expressed doubt about the general effectiveness of such schemes in terms of trying to train people "whose heart is not really in it"). However, many respondents identified major obstacles to Bikesafe Scotland as it operates currently being offered as an alternative to prosecution.
7.25 First, several police Bikesafe representatives emphasised the fact that Bikesafe Scotland does not offer any instruction, and therefore could not be seen as a 're-training' course in its current form. Second, Bikesafe Scotland already has problems with limited resources, and it was felt that offering it as an alternative to prosecution would only exacerbate these difficulties. Third, one police representative suggested that offering a police-run scheme as an alternative to prosecution could be viewed as a conflict of interests by the motorcycling community, since the police might be seen to be stopping riders just to increase the number of participants in Bikesafe. Last, it was suggested that if Bikesafe was offered as an alternative to prosecution it would deter other motorcyclists from taking part. This might include 'born again bikers' who are not necessarily 'reckless' riders, but they may still become involved in accidents because they are unused to modern bikes or have misremembered their own ability.
7.26 In general, respondents who thought there was some merit in offering training as an alternative to prosecution thought this would probably have to be run by private or voluntary training providers like ROSPA or IAM rather than by the police. Bikesafe was viewed as a different type of scheme, in that it is free, it does not offer training as such, and it is aimed at riders who actually want to improve their skills voluntarily.
Weaknesses in compulsory training?
7.27 Interviewees were asked whether they thought the need for the Bikesafe Scotland initiative to try and tackle rising motorcycle casualties indicated weaknesses in the current system of compulsory training for motorcyclists. In general, alternative training providers were very supportive of Compulsory Basic Training for motorcyclists, whereby riders must demonstrate that they can ride their bike to a minimum standard before they are allowed out on their own on the road. The standard motorcycle test was also generally seen as fair and of a high enough standard.
7.28 However, both police Bikesafe Scotland representatives and some providers of advanced training were more critical of the Direct Access scheme. Respondents were concerned that motorcyclists who go through Direct Access do not have chance to build up some experience before they move on to riding very powerful 'superbikes' and that they are therefore more likely to be involved in accidents. One trainer suggested that there should be compulsory post-test training for riders who have gone through the Direct Access scheme.
Scooters
7.29 Several respondents, particularly from the police, suggested that scooter safety may become an important issue for future safety campaigns targeting two-wheeled vehicles. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that scooters are increasing in popularity as a form of transport, particularly in big cities. Scooters present different safety issues to motorcycles, and it is unclear at this stage whether their increased popularity will be accompanied by an increase in accidents involving scooters. However, Lothian and Borders and Strathclyde police have both started to look at ways of targeting Bikesafe at scooter riders - for example, through running safety evenings at scooter retailers. It was suggested that while motorcycling is a hobby, and therefore motorcyclists may take more of an interest in becoming better riders, scooters are primarily used for city riding and scooter riders may be less concerned to improve their skills.
Key points:
- Some interviewees thought there might be scope for involving trainers from the private or voluntary sector in running Bikesafe Scotland or a similar scheme. However, it was recognised that this would create various difficulties around charging, resources and the credibility of these trainers.
- Interviews with stakeholders from the motorcycle industry suggested that there is some scope for involving them more in promoting and supporting Bikesafe Scotland or similar intiatives. However, their willingness to support such schemes is dependent on the scheme being perceived as a long term initiative that is fully supported by the police and others.
- There may also be some scope for negotiating discounts for Bikesafe Scotland participants with some motorcycle retailers and insurers. This could be one way of encouraging more motorcyclists from hard to reach groups to attend.
- There was support among interviewees for some kind of diversionary scheme for motorcyclists, similar to the Driver Improvement schemes that operate for car drivers. However, offering Bikesafe Scotland assessed rides as an alternative to prosecution was seen as problematic since it does not involve any instruction and there are already problems with limited resources. It was also felt that offering a police-run scheme as an alternative to prosecution might be seen as a conflict of interest, and that using Bikesafe in this way might deter other motorcyclists who have not committed offences from taking part.
- Several interviewees were concerned about the impact of the Direct Access scheme on motorcycle casualties. It was viewed as allowing motorcyclists to graduate to more powerful bikes before they have had time to build up the experience to control them properly.
- Scooter safety was identified as a potentially important issue for future safety campaigns targeting two-wheeled vehicles.
« Previous | Contents | Next »