Government begin to roll out CBT changes

Author: Oli Rushby Posted: 04 Feb 2016

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has begun to tighten standards checks on those offering Compulsory Basic Training to new motorcyclists

The move comes as part of a wider scheme to improve CBT in order to make motorcycling safer for new riders.

In December 2014, a report commissioned by the Department for Transport into the effectiveness of CBT courses recommended a number of changes be implemented. Following a period of public consultation, the DVSA highlighted eight key areas of change with the first rolled out in December last year.

The DVSA has already altered content on their website regarding CBT in order to better educate candidates on what to expect from the course, including a move to abolish the idea that CBT is a one-day course with guaranteed pass.

Now, the DVSA have made moves to tighten standards checks on centres offering CBT, having acknowledged there was very little in the way of quality checks prior to last year’s report.   

A new standards check has been introduced with a focus on how trainees are taught during CBT, as opposed to the previous checklist of what should be taught. The overall idea is to encourage trainers to operate in a more modular approach and focus on an individual client’s needs, moving away from the one-day fits all approach.

The new check assesses a total of 17 axes based on lesson planning, risk management and teaching and learning strategies.

The next stages will involve the DVSA rolling out unannounced, risk-based quality assurance visits from April this year.

As the law stands, CBT can be taken from 16 years old and once passed, a rider can ride a motorcycle up to 125cc on the road unaccompanied with ‘L’ plates for two years (limited to 50cc for 16 year olds). 

The recent changes come after statistics showed there were between 7,000 and 8,000 road collisions involving motorcyclists or moped riders aged 16-26 each year from 2009 to 2012. 58% of these incidents involved riders aged between 16 and 19.

Read more on the proposed changes to CBT here.

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