RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

May 21, 2001
QUALIFICATION BOOST FOR MOTORCYCLISTS

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is offering a new qualification for motorcyclists, which will be of particular benefit to professional riders and trainers.

People passing the RoSPA advanced motorcycling test or diploma course for instructors will automatically qualify for a BTEC (Business Technology Education Council) award or certificate.

The level-three vocational qualification is the one which many employers are seeking. It means that people looking for riders or instructors can be confident that they have been trained to the highest possible level.

Kevin Birch, RoSPA Head of Road and Fleet Solutions, said: "With motorcyclists 40 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on the roads than car drivers, it is vital that anyone riding as part of their job is as highly trained as possible so that they can remain safe.

"We anticipate the qualifications available through RoSPA will be those accepted by the Driving Standards Agency when it establishes a national register of commercial rider trainers.

"Our advanced test and diploma are already monitored and approved by the Driving Standards Agency. The BTEC awards and certificates give prospective employers additional confidence when they know candidates for jobs have qualifications with external accreditation."

Major customers who have recently had their motorcycle teams trained by RoSPA include London Transport Bus and Railtrack.