www.iam.org.uk InsIght APRIL 2012

April 2012

Holding bAck tHe geArs

get your story told

sAfety site for tHe wAry bikers

town HAll tie up

ligHts cAmerA Action for driver, trAiner And exAminer (dte)

welcome

the InstItute of AdvAnced MotorIsts group briefing

Welcome to Insight, the monthly newsletter produced for the IAM group network and its members.

They’re complicated and they’re cumbersome, but will the new rules on bike licences really make motorcyclists safer?

From January, new bikers face four tests. CBT stays the same. Then there’s a test limiting riders to 125cc and all under-nineteen’s will be limited to 125s. After two years or at 19, there’s another test on bikes between 33 and 47 bhp and finally – again after two years – a test for a bike of any power.

simon bestchief executive

In theory this is good news. Young riders will spend longer on a smaller bike, building up experience before going out on a more powerful bike. But in practice, is it simply going to introduce too many barriers to riding? Will we lose a generation of bikers?

These assessments simply retest at the same level, on a more powerful bike each time. Instead of teaching new skills, they just ensure that young people are capable of handling a larger bike.

At the same time a 17 year-old who’s passed their car test can, in theory at least, leave the test centre, jump straight in to a Ferrari 458 and put their foot down.

While I welcome anything that reduces the risks young riders and drivers face, I think that without further training to improve their skills, young people will simply be exposed to the same risks later on. Unless it’s corrected, a bad riding habit picked up at 24 stays a bad habit for life.

To stay safe, bikers need lifelong learning, not a series of tests squeezed into the first few years of their biking careers. These new rules do nothing to protect the middle-aged and vulnerable born-again biker. That’s why the IAM continues to call for a lifelong approach to riding as well as driving. Not through

tests, not with graduated licences, but through safe, enjoyable and voluntary training.

We want your views on this matter. Please complete the poll online by visiting iam.org.uk/mls.

Holding back the gears

www.iam.org.uk InsIght April 2012

April 2012

For more information on Insight, please contact the IAM press office, email: press office@iam.org.uk phone: 020 8996 9777

A problem shared

Some groups have said that it would be useful to have a way of sharing ‘best practice’ examples of where other groups are succeeding. This covers everything from attracting new members to using social media. Please send any examples of success for your group to the press office email, and we will add these to the marketing toolkit on the website.

we’re all forum, are you?

Are you sending a representative to your regional forum? These events are a great opportunity to learn and give feedback on what the IAM is doing nationally, and to meet other local groups. We look forward to meeting you there.

town hall tie up

We recently wrote to over 200 council road safety officers to see how we could support their work with young drivers. We were also interested in learning more about local council’s existing road safety programmes, to see if we can get involved.

A quarter of councils replied that they are keen for local groups to be involved in their work. We are currently arranging meetings, so our market development manager Laura may be in touch to discuss the part you could play in this.

This is an opportunity to work with road safety officers and with young drivers. If you have any questions please email laura.martin@iam.org.uk.

And on the subject of councils we are launching a short report on how government spending cuts are affecting road safety, in May. By collecting data from approximately 90 councils, we’ve discovered that cuts are greater in road safety than in other services.

We’ll use the findings to support our work with councils, particularly those who are struggling to respond to dramatic changes in their budgets.

safety site for the wary bikers

Check out the IAM’s new motorcycling site, betterbiking.org.uk for all the IAM’s riding advice, as well as sections on riding abroad and motorcycling events around the country. Send us your tours, comments, thoughts and contributions. And thanks to all the motorcycling members who helped us get the content and the images right.

Taking over from the winter driving website, the IAM’s new summer site will be a site for thaw eyes. It will be up and running on 1 May and you can help us. We are looking for your photos. The categories include preparing your car (packing and cleaning), travelling with children, cycling, camping and caravanning, rural roads and driving abroad. Please send photos with your details and group to caroline.holmes@iam.org.uk.

get your story told Earlier this month the communications team met with four groups in the South West to give media training. The day included sections on talking to journalists, and how to write a press release. Geoff Bevan from Bristol Advanced Motorists said: “I’ve been publicity officer for Bristol Advanced Motorists since 1995 but there was still much which was entirely new to me.”

We hope to be able to offer more training to other regions too. Email ben.schofield@iam.org.uk

lights camera action for driver, trainer and examiner

The IAM’s new computer system, driver, trainer and examiner (DTE), went live on Thursday 12th April 2012.

DTE allows bookings for Skill for Life and commercial courses (IAM Drive & Survive) to be organised in the same system. It cuts down on administration, speeds up the process and reduces the chance of mistakes.

This system will be accessible to both IAM Chiswick and the groups, to ensure continuity in a customer’s Skill for Life application.

Testing has started on using DTE remotely and we will introduce it to groups from the end of May 2012.

Getting stuck into press release training at the communications training in Bristol.

DTE will also allow examiners to update the candidate’s test scores on the move.