Driving instructors have been calling on the government and the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) to rethink part of the new motorcycle test following a number of accidents. The so called “swerve test” has been blamed for several crashes during tests, in one case leaving a learner motorcyclist with broken bones after they came off their bike.
The test is designed to simulate a manoeuvre to avoid an obstacle or hazard in the road and must be performed at a speed of 50km/h (31.2mph). It is this high speed that instructors say poses a danger to learner motorcyclists. In the confined space of a test centre track, it might be difficult to both accelerate to the required speed and then brake safely before running out of room. In wet conditions the increased stopping distances will make it even harder and it is not surprising that in the first 3 and a half weeks since the swerve test was introduced earlier this year there have been 15 accidents.
Speaking to the BBC, Jeff Stone of the British Motorcyclists Federation said: “There is no real argument with the actual test, but the DSA really do have to take note of ‘real world’ conditions. A brake and swerve manoeuvre on a wet road is fraught with danger for even an experienced motorcyclist, so there needs to be a safer option for inclement weather conditions.” Mr Stone also pointed out that due to safety concerns car driving tests are usually postponed in snowy and icy conditions.
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The new motorcycle test is designed to save lives, by increasing rider and road safety. It’s well documented that bikers make up a disproportionately large percentage of road casualties – they make up one per cent of traffic, but are involved in 20 per cent of crashes. The new motorcycle test is designed to address that.
The new test is designed to be more challenging – that doesn’t mean it’s more dangerous. Riders who have trained and practiced enough should be perfectly capable of passing.
The test was developed over five years and a large number of motorcycle trainers and members of the biking community played a key role in its design. They also contributed in a large number of more than 300 practical trials we carried out over that time, in all weather conditions.
Extensive trials of the new module 1 element took place in all weather conditions, including in wet weather. The distance between the avoidance exercise and the stopping point is typically 29-31 metres, with a 15 metre run-off area beyond that. The Highway Code advises that the braking distance at 30mph in the wet is 28 metres on an average road surface. However, the surface of the testing area is designed to give maximum traction. The area provided is more than adequate for the manoeuvres to be carried out safely.
When we consulted with the motorcycle industry it was agreed that it was important that riders should be able to demonstrate that they could keep the bike under control while doing the avoidance exercise.
There have been reported incidents on fewer than half of one per cent of the new module one tests conducted so far. The most common mistake seems to be accelerating too fast up to the avoidance exercise, then braking while swerving, which destabilises the bike. Candidates should be building up speed steadily and only braking after the bike is upright again following a controlled swerve.
It makes sense that the better motorcyclists are prepared for the hazards of everyday riding, such as avoiding other vehicles pulling out in front of them, the safer they’ll be.
Oh, please. Carrying out a manoeuvre repeatedly under relaxed non-test conditions is one thing; carrying out the manoeuvre for the first time under the pressure of test conditions is quite another.
It’s a ridiculous test of real world ability anyway, since it doesn’t take hazard perception or reaction time into account. The proper real world to response to the swerve hazard on the test course would be to detect it early and slow down!
Add to that that the mod 1 is far easier to do on a Direct Access bike than a 125, and all you’re doing is encouraging people to do direct access rather and go straight on to big bikes.
The major effect of the new mod 1 test is not to increase real world safety – it’s to put riders off sitting the test, or from learning in the first place, and those who do it are more likely to get straight on a big bike and have a big off.
Lets face facts – this is just another way of “the higher power” swindling ordinary people out of money by putting ridiculous obstacles in the way of their getting licenced….. whereas in the “old days” you could buy a 125 and an L plate and ride indefinitely (and therefore gain “real world” experience), now they make you either take the 3 “tests” or enforce another compulsory spend of up to £100 every two years to show you again what you already know (and we all know that there is a lot of variation in the standards to be had in CBT – some people can be out with a certificate in under an hour – good value for money for the CBT guys) So a lot of kids will get to the end of their 2 years and then give up riding to save for a car. This is pretty much putting biking out of reach of your standard young person (though I suspect that’s really the objective). You can’t realistically start on the 125cc and learn by yourself then take a test, you now have to take out a second morgage and undergo professional lessons which will “teach you to pass a test”, much the same way as car driving is going. I’m sorry but I think particularly this weaving test is the most stupid idea out. A speed monitor ensuring you do 31.2mph before braking and swerving???? All year round, in this country?? So you can have ridden perfectly well, safely & defensively for 2 years on the road, then because of the minor technicality of not “achieving” the standard in a pressure situation, you are then consigned to your L plates again until you either stump up again for another CBT or blow more cash at another roll of the dice in the “test”, with confidence and bank balance shot to pieces to boot (and potentially your bike or your body as well, from the sounds of the number of crashes in testing). Another case of a bunch of suits who are detached from reality, thinking up ways to make life more difficult, when they decide that something which wasn’t broken needed fixing. Pathetic.
Completely agree;motorbike test is a “roll of the dice”all designed to create more money and to deter someone who wants to go into biking from even trying.Once you pass module 1 is that it sorted?No way you;ve got 6 months to pass the practical or you re-take module 1.Every test “theory”"cbt”"module 1″”practical”are all designed to put another obstacle in your way.And to pass completely 2 of them have to be done in 6 months;or your back to the beginning.I paid £127 for module 1 with 2 hours tuition and test;then found out the actual test was £17!!.Obviously the instructors are never going to say “yes your ridings ok lets get you in for your test”Its all about making money.My tutor told me after my module 1 was passed i needed “about 4 days tuition to be ready for my test”How much will that be mate?£520.No chance id rather go in for the test myself and pay the £75; at least I’ll get 7 attempts before my money runs out!!(didnt need that many!!)Dont forget NO motorcycle instructor can GUARANTEE a pass.But if you dont turn up to the test centre with an instructor you will be treated differently than someone who has.
I have been learning to ride a motorcycle for the past 2 months and have religiously taken lessons at least every week during this time. I have also now taken 2 module 1 tests both of which I have failed, not only on the slalom/figure of eight, but also on the swerve and avoid part of the test. The last one, I actually came off and fractured my wrist. I have a morbid fear of tests, which has now been increased dramatically, due to coming off the bike. My thoughts on the swerve and avoid part of this test is it is perfectly valid, although not necessarily at 50kph because that would force us as law abiding members of the vehicular public to break the law, however at the centre I have been tested at, they have a left handed swerve and avoid which in this country is ludicrous as we would then be swerving into the pavement and potential pedestrians hence a potential major accident!! Due to this unnatural manoeuvre and my inability to focus on the gaps between blue cones at the speed of 52kph, I managed to come off the bike, which slid some 3 metres with my rolling some 1.5m and subsequently fracturing my wrist. I have no intention of giving up, however it is about time that the test is totally relevant to this country and not linked to abroad and concentrate on right hand swerve and avoid at a slower speed, as I am sure I certainly won’t be speeding on a bike as I could end up as a different statistic than I am already by being on of the increasing number of learners who come off a bike on the Module 1 Test.
There have been many studies done regarding the brake and swerve manouver that the dsa want trainees to undertake. In the event of having to miss a large or small object in front of a motorcycle there are two options, to brake hard or to swerve. The later will only come to a sensible conclusion if there is [a] space to swerve and [b] a place to end up which is in no danger. The first will only come to a satisfactory conclusion if there is sufficient space in which to stop. The rider being aware of his bikes stopping ability may therefore determin which course of action he takes. To do both would inevitably end up in disaster and injury.
I have read about this so called ‘brake and swerve’ manouver and I have read many things relating to it from individuals and organisations and it appears to me they have it wrong. It should never have been called a ‘brake and swerve’ manouver. If u look at the set up on a dsa test centre it clearly defines what should happen at a speed of 50 kmp, This is to SWERVE and then to BRAKE.
Now this is far different from what appears to be a stupid idea. Firstly at 50 kph [about 31mph] the steering eliment is one of COUNTERSTEERING where one pushes the handlebar forward on the side u want to swerve or corner to. ie. if u wish to swerve to the right one pushes the right hand forwards and the bike will start to fall onto that side and it follows that u are right hand cornering., No braking at this time is required though one could possibly let of the throttle.or not as the case may be [ it may not be necessary] now to continue forward having travelled sufficient distance of the original swerve one does the same with the left hand and the bike will [ providing it still has speed over about 20 mph] start to stand up and then one turns to the left. Following this with a push on the right hand again to lift the bike into its upright position and then end the test by braking into the required area
More understanding of countersteering and how it works [ we all do it subconscously to corner at speeds over about 20 mph] and the world would be safer place. Unfortunately in training many organisations do not train this as they believe that it is only used in more advanced riding and particular cornering. Not so, they will have to instruct it from now on. Its a good tool to have in ones arsenal and can save lives and also make motorcycling safer and better fun.
So to all the learners out there find space and learn what happens at over 20 mph and u push the handlebar instead of pulling it. I think u will be suprised and with such knowledge and experience u will be safer, and pass the dam test.
I do have a problem though with the stopping distance particulary in the wet, we all know that something like twice the distance would be more appropriate.
yes totaly think new test rip off just way for more cash. time and again its other road users cause bike accidents plus condition of todays roads
Not much on this one since new year. Whilst i cannot disagree that it is a money making situation and that motorcyclists will have to jump through hoops to get tested the end result will have to be perhaps better than before. I know there should be many more test centers and thats something that will have to be considered and possibly addressed by the powers that be.
As regards the swerve and brake test it basically shouldnt have to happen, yes motorcyclists are more at risk and more vulnerable to injury and death and this occurrs frequently in town situations where at a junction a car/van driver enters a main road or turns without seeing or giving any consideration to the approaching motorcyclist. So shouldt we see something being done in the car test in order that this bad driving situation could be illiminated. Then we as motorcyclists wouldnt need to AVOID THE CAR IN THE FIRST PLACE>.
Sat module 1 last week. Got through the entire test without any issues or so i thought, only to be told by the examiner I took the avoidance manoeuvre at too slow a speed and needed to re do that part of the test again as a get 1 other chance. Ofcourse I was so focused opn the speed aspect that I came into the manoeuvre too fast this time, missed the cones and duly failed module 1. I later found out that I was 2 MPH slower than was permitted. I now have to retake, costing me a grand total of £120. Surely there should be a tolerance to the speed manoeuvres?