Youth Movement The TRF CBT introduces young people to safe, responsible and sustainable trail riding. In early September, the TRF held its ďŹ rst formal training event CompulSoRy BaSIC TRaInIng (CBT) was introduced in 1990 to help reduce the very high accident rate among inexperienced motorcyclists in the uK. By law CBT must be completed before any new moped or motorcycle rider is allowed to ride on the road with l-plates, or D-plates in Wales. This includes riding green roads and trails open to the public.
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What’s different about the TRF approach to CBT? an Institute of advanced motorists (Iam) study in 2009 showed that of 3500 accidents, 250 16-year-old boys are killed or seriously injured in moped accidents. according to the Iam the three top priorities are: a review of the CBT programme, which currently lasts for just two hours; a “Think moped” campaign, informing drivers and teenagers why, when and where riding mopeds is risky; and a new commitment to develop ways of targeting illegal and reckless riding. In addition, a 2015 report from the Driver Vehicle Standards agency (DVSa), which surveyed CBT takers, came up with several recommendations, many of which have informed the TRF’s offerings, which will help in the following ways:
1. Success rate
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The TRF proposes a minimum two-day course rather than a one-day course. The DVSa says that the average completion rate for CBT across all approved Training Bodies (aTBs) is the same as that found in the learners’ survey – 96%. The average one-day completion rate (amongst all learners) is 84%.
2. Safety The TRF offers additional safety training, in particular riding on unsurfaced roads, group riding and first-aid training. DVSa statistics indicate that four in ten learners (39%) would pay extra for more on-road and safety training.
3. Trail bike machine skills The TRF offers the opportunity to ride a proper trail bike (including 50cc mopeds) with gears. most trainers (72%) feel that completing CBT on an automatic does not prepare learners well for riding a manual.
4. Trail riding skills The TRF will give training in the following areas: a) off-tarmac trail riding skills – plus the law covering access and where to trail ride; b) managing risk – sharing the trail and managing conflict, e.g. trail and road rage; c) Social and environmental responsibility and
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least impact; d) Dealing with injuries and first aid. These skills will be the foundation of a formal Trail Riding Course, currently undergoing RoSpa and aCu accreditation.
5. Continued learning through 12 months of TRF membership
6. Further qualifications beyond the Driving Test The TRF offers the full-licence holder access to the following qualifications: qualified First aider, including riding injuries (one-day course, £30); Iam advanced motorcyclist Skills for life (10% discount); aCu Coach and aCu Clerk of Course.
Why is the TRF doing this? The membership that makes up the new TRF is fast-changing and membership Director Carla mcKenzie is leading a programme to assist newer young riders, who are interested in trail riding, to join the TRF and learn to do it responsibly. We get many enquiries from interested young riders and we, the TRF membership, need to make it clear that the first step is to attend a CBT course.
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Those completing the CBT have access to thousands of guided rides and related training through our forty groups nationwide. The natural next step is preparation for a full licence and the TRF can offer plenty of “saddle time” with experienced riders. The DVSa aTBs will offer further training to DVSa test standard. The DVSa comments that it should be made easy and not overly costly for those who want extended training to be able to come back for another two hours on the road, for example. The onus should not be on completion in one day and while trainers claim they don’t tell learners how long it should take, the fixed fee per course price
structure may be influencing many trainers to aim for one-day completion.
TRF-linked, DVSA ATBs that provide CBTs, plus a knowledge of trail riding, include: Off the Kerb – London: http://www.offthekerbmct.co.uk and http://offthekerbtrailriding.com/ East Midlands – Shires: https://www.shiresmt.com/ please contact Chris Barrable at chris.b@trf.org.uk, TRF Training Director, if, as a TRF member, you would like to add any trail-orientated CBT training providers to this list. Stewart Bosworth, at stewart.b@trf.org.uk, is writing the course book of trail riding. For other enquiries regarding young riders and the TRF, Tom Carnell, at tom.c@trf.org.uk, has agreed to look after this area.
For more information on CBT: off the Kerb Trail Riding, whose directors are long-term existing TRF members, have been in discussion about CBT and young riders since last year. They also have a great relationship with Fantic, and run a fleet of learner-legal trail bikes. more recently, the TRF was invited to a meeting at the mick Extance Experience Centre to discuss safety training and met East midlands TRF member paul nunn of Shire motorcycle Training, which handles the bookings for mick Extance. paul has an amazing team of trainers, including young lady instructors, with strong trail riding skills. He also has a fleet of Kawasaki KlX 125s for CBT use. From the TRF’s perspective it became clear that training for safe, legal and courteous riding starts with the CBT, rather than leaving it until later. off the Kerb and Shires have offered to look after the CBT, and we are looking for young riders, ideally aged 16 for moped and aged 17 for 125cc, in need of a CBT.
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https://www.gov.uk/motorcycle-cbt https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ government/uploads/system/uploads/at tachment_data/file/380799/cbt-learners-trainers-report.pdf
Regarding accidents for moped riders: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorbikes/5077581/moped-riderrisks.html
For all motorcyclists: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/ government/uploads/system/uploads/at tachment_data/file/447673/motorcyclist-casualties-2013-data.pdf
The effect of training on reducing m/c accidents: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022437589900327