[visordown.com] - Licence rules may be why very few young riders take test government

[Ninjette Newsbot]

EU RULES limiting young riders to smaller motorcycles may be the reason ‘very few’ now bother to take the test, the government has admitted.

Instead learners see the one-day Compulsory Basic Training course as the only qualification they need to be ‘fully competent’ to ride on the road, according to the Department for Transport.

The number of under-19s taking a motorcycle test fell by 90% after new rules were introduced, from 6,788 one year to 599 the next.

Government agencies have previously denied the drop is a result of the rules themselves. Instead it’s been blamed on people rushing to get their test in before the changes, leading to a natural fall in numbers afterwards.

But yesterday the DfT admitted ‘very few’ young riders go on to take a test after doing CBT, and it ‘may be an unintended consequence’ of the new licence rules, which were introduced at the beginning of 2013. .

The admission was contained in a DfT consultation paper on rider training.

Announcing the consultation, transport minister Claire Perry said it was ‘shocking’ that 19% of motorcycle casualties involved riders under 20.

The consultation proposes changes to CBT to ensure learners are up to scratch.

It says: ‘We acknowledge that this may require a culture shift. The public generally view CBT as a one-day course and many trainers arrange their business model to deliver CBT on that basis. Trainees need to move away from the idea that simply completing a day’s course will automatically mean that they are fully competent to ride a moped or small motorcycle unaccompanied. This is particularly relevant for young riders, very few of whom go on to take a motorcycle test, a situation that may be an unintended consequence of the 3rd Directive which limits the size and power of machines that younger riders can ride.’

Visordown revealed last year that motorcycles tests had fallen by a quarter following the new rules. At the time, the Driving Standards Agency said: ‘This reflects the continuing effects of the rush to pass the practical test before new restrictions on young motorcyclists were introduced in January 2013.’

Thanks to Rogerborg for highlighting the DfT admission in a comment on an earlier story.

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