Free scooter and motorcycle lessons in Gloucester » Communities » 24dash.com

A weekend of free coaching is being offered to motorcycle and scooter riders in Gloucester to help cut down on the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads.

The coaching, which takes place at the end of the month, has been organised by South Gloucestershire Council's road safety team with the aim of improving riding standards and survival skills.

Scooter riders can take advantage of a two-day course on the weekend of February 24th and 25th.  

The course features braking and manoeuvring exercises as well as theory and on the second day the students arrive for an individually assessed ride.

For motorcyclists the course lasts for one day with an illustrated theory discussion covering observation, hazard perception, anticipation, positioning and ride planning.

This is followed by a three-hour group ride with an instructor where each student will take a turn to lead before receiving a constructive debriefing on their riding.

Both instructors are retired 1 advanced police motorcyclists and one was an advanced police instructor so they have a wealth of experience to offer.

Senior road safety officer Alan Hale said, "It is vital that we take steps to improve the standard of motorcycling in order to reduce the level of deaths and injuries. However no one should be under the misapprehension that the fault always lies with the motorcyclist. Drivers also have to carry a high degree of responsibility for some collisions."

"Our instructors have arguably the highest road motorcycling qualification that exists and they are more than willing to let others benefit from their experience and skill. This is a fun day for riders to enjoy but the message being delivered is a very serious one."

The next courses for riders of motorcycles up to 125cc will be held on March 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th at South Gloucestershire Council's depot in Broad Lane, Yate. Machines must be roadworthy and legal and riders must have the appropriate documents.