If Only . . .

Ever see the Department for Transport's 'Perfect Day' video? It was made a few years ago, about the time the DfT introduced their 'Think' campaign, a welcome change from some 'road safety' initiatives!

The 'Perfect Day' video is on Youtube, or can be downloaded, or watched, from here:
Perfect Day

It's also available on DVD for motorcycle training centre use.


More 'Think' motorcycle road safety resources here:
Think page


What set me thinking about this was a banking advert I happened across in a 'business' magazine. I wondered if someone at the ad. agency rides motorcycles!

Of course, the daft thing is that many of the hazards highlighted to the rider in Perfect Day are actually quite apparent - it's just that riders choose to ignore them.


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Less Is More, on 4x4

Although it might seem a recent trend to either love or loathe 4x4s when used as cars, they've actually been moving from 'utility' to 'recreational' for over 15 years.

And during all that time, their owners have been on the receiving end of sarcastic comments. When a friend announced to the office that he was replacing his BMW '3' estate and buying a Vauxhall Frontera, one colleague asked "Oh, will go off road?"

Steve's honest answer was a simple question: "You've not heard about my wife's driving, have you?"

That might have seemed harsh or sexist, but on one occasion his wife had knocked him off his bike . . .

Of course, a common criticism is that big 4x4s never get used off-road. So it was with some amusement that I saw this Porsche's registration plate! LE55 MUD



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Visor Cleaning

You probably don't need lessons from me on visor cleaning. But that won't stop me.

But one thing to consider when you are cleaning your visor is to clean around the seal strip on the helmet itself. You may be surprised how mucky it can get, and it's grease and dirt that will make misting worse - so don't start off by closing a cleaned visor against a dirty seal.


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Gloves - More

Following on from the earlier post on gloves, a couple of extra points to consider:

First, if your hands are wet or clammy when you take your gloves off, hold on to the finger tips as you ease the gloves off - that way you'll not pull the lining out as you take the glove off.

Second, don't put wet gloves in your helmet to store them. It will take three or four days to lose the musty smell - not nice when you put you helmet on. Don't ask how I know . . .


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Common Sense Prevails for Once . . .

Bet you don't see this sort of thing reported often: A speed limit going UP!

Yes, a local piece of road, a short section of A339 (previously A34) has been changed from 30 up to 40!

For once this actually reflects some of the road's traffic flow, which is either stop-start nose-to-tail commuters, or flowing freely at 40. Perhaps we're seeing slight return of influence from the '85th percentile' guidance (set the speed limit at what 85% of drivers are keeping under, so reflecting that drivers do have some sense), rather than the simplistic 'Speed Kills'.


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Hot News - 2008 Test

MRTA Press release:

MRTA Calls For Implementation Of New Motorcycle Test To Be Deferred

The RMI’s Motorcycle Rider Training Association (MRTA) has today (Thursday 24 July 2008) written to Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport (DfT), with responsibility for the Driving Standards Agency (DSA), to call for implementation of the new motorcycle test to be deferred.


The new test is due to be introduced on 29 September 2008 as a result of new requirements included in the Second EC Driving Licence Directive (Directive 2000/56/EC). The DSA’s chosen implementation depends upon the development of a minimum of 66 new Multi Purpose Test Centres (MPTCs) around the country. This will allow certain elements of the test to be conducted ‘off-road’ before the usual ‘on-road’ test.

At present, the DSA is only on target to have less than 40 MPTCs operational by the implementation date. The DSA has considered a motorcycle/training industry call for some transitional arrangements including use of temporary sites, but there will only be around 14 ready by the implementation date, and only with restricted availability.

As a result MRTA members have increasingly expressed strong concern via both a recent sample survey and sustained feedback about the effect on lives and livelihoods.

Commenting on this situation, MRTA Chairman Kevin Bryan said: ‘The training industry has long expressed concern that the DSA was unlikely to meet its targets but nonetheless the MRTA has supported the Agency to the fullest extent possible to assist it towards implementation.

‘However, it has become clear that with an MPTC network that is nowhere near complete and associated infrastructure and service provision issues including test booking and capacity concerns, Government has no option but to call a stop to this September implementation to avoid chaos in the training industry and unacceptable extra training costs to new riders.’

Bryan explained: ‘MRTA members believe that the extremely long journey times to test centres for some novice riders could make training unaffordable in certain locations. This is expected to increase social exclusion for potential riders and lead to job losses in the training industry and the wider motorcycle market.’

Bryan added: ‘The MRTA can no longer support this implementation and therefore calls for it to be deferred for at least six months, or until such time as the full MPTC network is operational.’

The MRTA will be urging the Minister on his return from the summer recess to urgently review this situation and stop this implementation.




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DSA New Test News

The DSA have announced that they have developed contingency arrangements for most of the 22 sites which will not have an MPTC (Multi-Purpose Test Centre) open in time for the new off-road element of the motorcycle test on 29th September, although they're not making details public yet.


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Our Bins Collections Are Rubbish

West Berkshire has recently changed its waste collection service, with a heavy emphasis put on to increasing recycling. But the result of this has been an increase from a wheelie bin and two small baskets, to the original large black bin, a new, slightly smaller, green bin, two much larger baskets, and a large 'bag'.

Now, with your 'rider training' head on, you may have seen where this is going!

"Observation links!" I hear you cry. Quite right too, because this means that on the days when all the bins and baskets are out there are now likely to be three large collection vehicles hiding around the nearest blind corner.

Other things to remember are to check whether the bins and baskets are empty? You may not be able to tell about the bins (especially since some coucils insist on the bin lid being able to be closed), but you may find that emptied bins are replaced in more 'regimented' fashion (or haphazard) than when placed by residents.

What's the advantage of knowing if they've been emptied? Because empty wheelie bins have been known to take flight - or at least roll in to the road - during high winds, and since they're made (at least ours are) of black and grey plastic, they won't be too easy to see in the dark or through a wet visor.

There's another observation link you can make from bin locations - they'll show you where house entrances are located. That's worth knowing on the other days of the week, when emerging vehicles or other house occupants may be difficult to see or have limited views towards you.


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Old Vehicles on the Daily Commute

The old American pictured in an earlier post isn't the only old car I've seen recently. Other vehicles spotted include a Ford Cortina (on 'Slob' brown), a Vauxhall Viva, and even a Honda SS50 (a remnant from the 70s 'sports' moped from the days when mopeds actually still had pedals - albeit for legal rather than practical reasons).

Another car seen regularly is a Citreon DS - must be a great car to drive as the owner is usually smiling! Up until about 20 years ago a Citreon Traction Avant was in regular use around the town. Now, who says that French cars aren't reliable!


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Daytime Lights

Cards on the table: I'm not a fan of daytime lights, on any vehicle, in good natural light.

There are times when I will have my headlamp on in daylight, for example if it's misty, frosty, etc - ie when drivers may have obscured windows - or if I'm riding under dense tree canopy - especially on brighter days when the road can be quite dark and drivers' eyes adjusted for brighter sunlight.

So a couple of thoughts on the trend towards daytime lights on cars and other such vehicles:

1. Does anyone really need the aid of daytime headlamps (or 'aho' - automatic headlamp on) to see a bus?

2. If car makers insist we need daytime lights to see cars (Audi is the latest, with vast stripes of LEDs wrapped under their cars' headlamps), why do they still sell cars painted silver, grey, and black?

3. If my local bus company believes I need them to run with headlamps on all the time, why have they changed their bus paint scheme to camo grey ('silver') and green, or two-tone grey?

CPD for ADIs

CPD for ADIs

That's Continuing Professional Development for Approved Driving Instructors.

I was intending to tell you about CPD, and was intending to give you a link, and was intending to tell you about a CPD record-keeping form.

But . . .

The Transport Office link I followed redirects - eventually - to the DSA site, with a list of documents, none of which seem to be - at first sight - the example CPD form.

So I tried to email DSA using the address I have. It bounced.

As it says on the back of their books, "We are the experts" . . .

It's just as well they have a captive market.


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Automotive Art and Indicators

This marvellous moulding was on an old American Ford, parked in a Newbury car park. It's not just practical in that it 'does a job', but it was styled to an extreme - the 'space age' influence that also gave US cars their huge winged tail fins.

But apart from encourage me to get out the camera, this tail light also set me reflecting (Ho Ho!) about current styling and engineering trends on cars.


There are a number of recent changes to car lighting, including 'white' lenses, LEDs replacing traditional 'bulbs', the actual design of light clusters, and the positioning of indicators.

Until recently, indicators had an orange plastic lens, and a clear bulb. Now it's usual for indicators to be an orange bulb set back in to a reflector, with a clear cover. Often this will be set within a light cluster which is multi-facetted chrome. Personally, I find these 'white' indicators more difficult to see. That's not to say that I don't ever see them - just that there is often a smaller 'bright' area than thee would usually be with the older orange plastic, which gave a large illuminated 'surface.

Another potential problem is that the large, styled, chromed, areas of the light clusters are also very good at reflecting sunlight - which is far brighter than any 35W light bulb is ever going to be!

Of course, the introduction of LED lighting is well under way - one lighting manufacturer has a complete set of lights which can completely replace the headlamps too - although the first common use was with high-level brake lights. These were particularly effective because they lit up much quicker than the incandescent lamps - if my memory serves me the figure of 400 milliseconds was mentioned - a useful time-saving to aid the reactions of following drivers. They're also less susceptible to damage from vibration, and usually have a much longer life, than traditional lighting.

But, again, I see a drawback when all the old lamps are replaced by LEDs, because LEDs appear as either 'on' or 'off' don't have the 'in-between' transition state. Is that important? Well, driving often relies on getting information quickly, and a quick glance at a flashing LED indicator will catch it either on or off, but a glance towards a bulb will also have the third (or perhaps third and fourth) transition stages to catch someone's attention.

I mentioned light clusters earlier, and a recent trend in car styling is to move the indicator 'inboard' of the headlamp, where previously (and perhaps 'traditionally') the indicator was on the 'corner' outside of the headlamp. This move may be to do with crash performance (I'm guessing here!) when pedestrian safety is tested. Again, I find the 'inboard' indicators more difficult to see - perhaps because they're not where I'm used to seeing them - but also they don't - in my opinion - show up so well from the side.

To be fair, another recent change ('recent' apart from BMW doing it on the K100RS in 1983!) is the use of indicators moulded into the car's door mirrors. But you've probably guessed . . . I don't like them either . . . Why? Because, again, it's not where I'm used to looking - but also because if a car is emerging from a side turning it's important to get some indication (sorry!) of which way the driver intends to go before the car is so far out that the door mirror is visible.

Even the lighting at the back of the car can be designed in a way which can obstruct either the view or the interpretation of the lights. The VW range includes some cars where the indicator is circled by the brake light - rather than the two being separate. Result: bright red light obscures smaller orange light.

Shall I continue? I'm really on a roll . . .

Another element (sorry :) ) of vehicle lighting is the actual position on the vehicle - I touched on this earlier. Some rear light clusters are placed high on the back, others lower down. Again, this may not be where you 'expect' to see the signal, so delaying your response. But a few days ago I happened upon an even worse design.

While following a car I was able to see through its front and rear screens, and see the brake lights of the car (a small 4x4) in front.

Note: just see the brake lights, and not just a single high-level light or LED array - this was a pair of brake lights high on the rear quarter.

I had no intention of overtaking - but it was just as well I didn't because the 4x had an additional set of brake lights lower down at 'bumper' level - with the indicators . . . and the flashing right hand indicator, only seen as the vehicle turned across the road.



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He's Heading For A Breakdown

Well, it has to happen to everyone.

Actually, I think the driver was just checking fluid levels etc. - but just for a moment I thought . . .

Don't think he was too happy at being photo'd, either :)



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New Delhi - The Dutch Way

Following on from the video link I posted, you may be interested in a 'training' context where similar techniques are used (albeit without the mobile phone, with the helmet on correctly, and not on a public road) in an identical way (ahem . . . ).

During the FIM Congress on post-test rider training I attended, there were various riding demonstrations, including by the US organisation MSF (for which I did the riding demo as the MSF instructor had flown in from Oregon and didn't have a bike), and another by the KNMV.

KNMV is the Royal Dutch Motorcycle Club, and they run not just training, but track sessions, and touring events.

However . . . during their rider training sessions they demonstrate how stable a bike is by riding like you see in the picture!

There's a sub-plot to this demo - that body position, and any amount of wiggling or waving (which they do, you'll have to just imagine three Pan Europeans, riders laying back on the seat and waving their arms and legs about . . . ) will hardly influence the bike's stability - let alone initiate a turn.

See where this is going? :)

Next, they rode along, sat up straight, hands off the bars (using the choke to keep the revs up) and half-way along the test track, one after the other, they steered left.

How? Because they had a luggage tie-down strap tied around the right handgrip and the other end held in their right hand. A swift tug and the bike turns left!

Until rider three . . . who'd tied the strap in such a way that when he tugged it also opened the throttle! So the bike not only turned left - it also accelerated!

Not too much of a problem as the rider was able to get back to the bars fairly quickly - except that the bike was now heading towards a 15ft high earth bank - at the top of which was another training area with about 100 people watching the demo.

Instead of panicking, he stood up, looked up at the top of the bank, and accelerated.

You might not believe a Pan could go dirt-tracking, but it did, and he kept it upright and under control!

So not just a steering demo, but also a great demo of not giving up to panic in an emergency, such as grabbing the brakes.

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Seen It All? Look Again!

Nope, not a 'SMIDSY' post, it's a Youtube video.

Video Link

Enjoy :)


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Ride To Work & National Motorcycle Week

Not exactly a major event for me, as I ride to work most days, but still . . . gives a chance for some bikers to scare their colleagues by arriving in bike gear!

RIDE TO WORK DAY 2008 - Wednesday 16th July 2008

Ride to Work Day is a day for all bike and scooter users to get out and about on their bikes and ride to work, ideally with a pillion.

In the past, MCI produced an event pack to get people active and doing something that generated beneficial media coverage about life on two wheels. Organised ride-outs, a breakfast or BBQ, a charity event or an open day were just a few of the suggestions.

2008 Event Pack
2008 Event Poster


National Motorcycle Week

13th - 19th July 2008

National Motorcycle Week promotes motorcycling and scooter riding and the many benefits associated with it. It takes place in July to link in with other international events in countries such as USA and Germany.

The campaign aimed to demonstrate to the public, media and politicians the number of motorcyclists in the UK and at the same time it emphasises the important point that owners are from all walks of life, all ages and that riding has social, environmental and economic benefits.

The week is an occasion when people unite to highlight motorcycles and scooters by getting active and vocal by holding events, speaking to the press, converting friends or just getting out on their bike.

Why Promote National Motorcycle Week?

National Motorcycle Week aims to emphasise the exhilaration associated with riding a motorcycle or scooter, raise awareness about its many benefits and important transport and environmental issues. Each year a different theme is chosen to highlight specific issues and groups.



More information can be obtained from Craig in the MCI Press Office by emailing craig@mcia.co.uk or calling 07979 757484.

Motorcyclists Drinking, and Kites

I wouldn't usually condone motorcyclists drinking.

Not while riding, anyway :)

However, I'd like to report part of a 'pub' conversation between myself, another rider, and a non-motorcyclist.

While we were chatting, for various reasons the subject of 'cornering' came up. The non-rider said "How complicated can it be, surely you just [insert leaning and steering action] around?"

And the point that got the attention of the two 'riders' was how he 'steered' in a 'direct' (ie 'car') fashion, rather than counter-steer.

So the conversation moved on to a basic over-view of counter-steering (aided by two beer mats acting as motorcycle wheels), and included me and non-rider resting the palms of our hands on the table edge and 'leaning' to feel the pressure change - and thinking how that would affect the movement of the handlebars.

Now, although he's a non-rider, he has ridden a bicycle.

Most cyclists probably aren't aware of how they actually intiate a turn.

My son has a kite (I'll explain the sudden change if subject in a moment), and while re-tying the broken strings I looked at the "How to fly your kite" instructions, where the manufacturers describe is as being like 'Steering a bicylce". Unfortunately, they don't know either - I wonder how many people struggle with their kites because they can't consciously steer a bicycle (or motorcycle)?

More 'Safety' Technology

Hot on the heels (or wheels) of my previous post, through the letterbox arrived the latest Driving Instructors Association bi-monthly magazine Driving ("for the advanced driver and rider").

Included, a review of the new Renault Laguna GT.

This features 'Active Drive Chassis' - their name for their version of four-wheel steering.

Four-wheel steering is nothing 'new', having been used on various production cars.

However, this one works in two ways: below 38mph it steers the rear wheels slightly the opposite way to the fronts (for tighter turning), above it turns them the same way (for quicker steering).

No problem ther, so far.

What intrigued me was how it was described in the magazine. I have had a quick look on Renault's web site, and can't see the same 'advantage' described there, so it many be down to the journalist, but the phrase which caught my attention was:

" . . . and thus raises the safe cornering speed."

Err . . . really? Is 'safe' only limited by the vehicle's abilities?

OK, perhaps that's not what was meant, but if not it gives an odd impression of how 'safety' is seen by a magazine intended solely for instructors.

The Mongolian Job

"Just nipping down the shops, dear"

Or a bit further . . .

Two Newbury teenagers are off on a fantastic voyage, not to the centre of the Earth, or . . . no, sorry, can't keep up with the film title theme ;)

They (the two teenagers) have a third 'companion' - an old Mini they've rebuilt, and are heading of on a 10,000 mile journey. Read more here

I've met one of the pair, Tim, before, in his 'day job' as an activities instructor - where he quickly took control of a group of Cubs and had them charging along the canal in Newbury, racing canoes. If he puts the same 'style' and enthusiasm in to this trip, the other teams will only see his dust (or mud).

Sponsor them here!

Go on, give them some cash! Have a great time, guys!

Dry Level Gloves

For the last few days I've been taking two sets of gloves on every trip.

This isn't because I have four hands, but because of the quickly-changing weather!

Like many riders, I have a good selection of gloves, but tend to favour just a couple of pairs.

In particular, I have a pair of Held unlined leather gloves, which are still going although a bit dirty on the white bits of leather.

My other regular pair are warm & dry winter gloves. Until recently I used a pair of BMW winter-spec gloves, but they've eventually, and literally, worn out - the leather in the fingertips is starting to wear through!

Looking around for a replacement set, I found the Halvarssons range to have a good alternative.

They're the 'Dry Level' gauntlet. They're not covered in particularly gaudy patches, or flaunting heavy-duty plastic armoured areas. They are, however, black (with a few 'silver' panels). I like black bike gear :) It doesn't show the day-to-day grime - particularly applicable for foul-weather gloves.

Unusually, the Dry Level gloves have 'Outlast' liners instead of the usual Thinsulate, or similar. Outlast is an offshoot from the space race, and absorbs bodyheat which it then returns as your hands cool down.

So far they're warm and waterproof, and comfortable.

Can't ask for much more than that, except a good price - which they are, at £40.

Mine were bought from Abbey Motorcycle Instructors, near Abingdon in Oxfordshire, who also have an on-line shop.

Abbey Motorcycle Instructors

Technology for Bad Driving

That's as ambiguous as I could make it!

Is it 'technology to make drivers bad', 'technology to improve bad driving' - or technology to catch bad drivers'?

Well, all three really.

I often watch the 'fly on the wall' police programmes, like Road Wars and Police Interceptors. In particular Interceptors has some very natty modern technology used: ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) systems, some mounted in vans, others fitted as part of teh police car's video systems, 'Tracker' set-ups for finding stolen vehicles, hand-held computers (presumably of the 'Blackberry' ilk, and even hand-held fingerprint readers.

Technology for 'improving' drivers seems to be aimed towards removing their responsibility to actually do any driving! Recent 'innovations' include radar-linked anti-collision systems, some linked to cruise control, others for slower speed, in-traffic. Then there's the lane recognition systems - cameras which recognise when a car is drifting within a lane and 'nudge' the steering wheel. And of course, GPS systems.

Unfortunately, a lot of these set-ups actually remove responsibility while returning it. What do I mean? One of the radar-linked cruise systems requires that the driver sets an appropriate following distance. Even then, the first action the system takes when too close to the car in front is to warn the driver. Errr . . shouldn't the driver have some idea of what's happening in front of them?

And GPS; how many stories do you hear about "But I was only going where my GPS told me to!". Locally to here that includes vehicles trying to get through a ford in mid-winter. The ford's been there for decades with rarely a problem - now cars are getting swept away (and a furniture delivery van!) quite regularly.

Another GPS trait to watch for is the last-minute dive from lane 3 of a motorway across to the exit slip as the driver follows the instructions without checking.

Of course, another innovation is camera systems which tell drivers what's in their blind spots . . .

Sadly, motorcycles aren't exempt from the advance of technology; an Eu-funded project is looking at ways of implementing "advanced driver assistance and in-vehicle information systems".

There's a consultation open on this, if you wish to comment.

FEMA (Federation of European Motorcyclists) are helping with the on-line survey.

SafeRider EU

SafeRider

Youth of Today

The youth of today are - hopefully - the riders of tomorrow, and even further still in to the future.

They're the people who will bring in the money to keep the bike industry going, keep shops open, and maintain a variety of motorcycle-related businesses in business.

They spend that money, of course, if they're alive, and if they haven't given up biking through fear or being disillusioned - which might hapeen if they don't have the skills to enjoy their biking.

A recent idea from the West Of England Road Safety Partnership, is the 'Keep Your Wheels Up' web site aimed at younger riders.

Web Site

Rather than just be an 'information' site, or a directory of services, the site encourages participation - and not only that, it offers £rewards too!

Having created an account, a user can enter competitions to win spending money!