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November 17, 2024

Young riders encouraged to share views in new survey

The National Young Rider Forum has launched a new survey to help provide an up-to-date picture of the views and experiences of young riders, to support them to be safe while riding.

The survey forms part of the Young Riders Matter project, funded by The Road Safety Trust.

The survey covers a variety of topics, including training, wearing PPE and feelings about riding. It is open to 16-24 year-olds.

In return for completing the survey, participants will be entered into a prize draw to win a brand new SHARP accredited motorcycle helmet – worth up to £300.

The National Young Rider Forum is encouraging local authorities, motorcycle organisations and other stakeholders alike to share the survey, the results of which will seek to inform educational initiatives going forward.

Click here to view and share the survey.

Heidi Duffy MBE, facilitator of the National Young Rider Forum, said: “Young motorcyclists continue to be over represented in the KSI casualty statistics, despite accounting for fewer numbers and miles travelled on our roads than all other road user groups.

“With this research project, the NYRF will take its knowledge and work with young riders to the next level. The project will build upon a strong foundation that NYRF have formed since 2019.

“It will provide new information and learning about young riders particularly those working in the GIG economy or affected by the cost-of-living crisis who use a motorcycle to access education, work or leisure.”

October 2, 2024

National Young Rider Day celebrates young riders in style

The National Young Rider Forum (NYRF) is reflecting on the success of the second National Young Rider Day, which took place on 1 October.

Founded by the NYRF in 2023, the purpose of Young Rider Day is to focus exclusively on riders aged 16-24 years, who typically ride bikes of 125cc or less.

Young motorcyclists feature in more road crashes than young drivers, despite accounting for less than 1% of all traffic using the road network.

In support of the day, events (both online and in person) were hosted across the country.

Essex Police and the Safer Essex Roads Partnership delivered a P2W Roadshow at the Colchester Institute and Writtle College, Chelmsford.

Attendees got the chance to use a P2W Simulator - used originally for police rider training purposes - to test their muscle memory, reflexes, skill sets.

Ellie Henderson, education and engagement manager for SERP, said: We know that young riders are a particularly vulnerable road-user group, so we were grateful to both colleges to allow us to talk to their students about road safety.

“The team had the opportunity to meet with hundreds of students to talk about how to stay safe on two wheels.

“The students enjoyed using the simulator, kindly brought by Devon and Cornwall Police, to experience some of the aspects of riding a motorbike, including hazards and appropriate filtering.”

Leanne Smith, personal development coordinator at Colchester Institute, said: “It was a pleasure to have the Safer Essex Roads at Colchester Institute today for National Young Rider Day. Despite the weather, the level of engagement from both our learners and the team was outstanding.

“The brilliant and clear information the partnership provided has helped our learners to feel more confident about staying safe while riding their bikes, or being on the road.”

Meanwhile, the variety of events culminated in a specially designed online event, organised with the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership, for young people who could already be motorcyclists or are thinking of becoming one.

Dozens attended the lively session, hearing from experts on a range of important topics, including: how to obtain a motorcycle licence, an explanation of Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) and the dangers faced by young riders on the road. Bike maintenance was also covered.

Heidi Duffy MBE, facilitator of the NYRF, said: “The second National Young Rider Day was a resounding success - with some amazing events taking place across the country.

“We look forward to returning - bigger and better - next year.”

June 11, 2024

Infographics aim to help young riders make the right choices this summer

March 25, 2024 Post a Comment

Are you ‘Ready to Ride’ this Spring?

The National Young Rider Forum is launching a new social media campaign as it ramps up efforts to support young riders this Spring.

The campaign digitalises the ‘Ready to Ride?’ educational film, which details the steps that a young person needs to take if they are considering becoming a motorcyclist.

Funded by The Road Safety Trust and Kent County Council, the film covers vital topics such as licensing, PPE, maintaining a motorcycle and riding safely in sections presented by young people themselves.

The social media campaign is being launched today (25 March) ahead of the Easter period, which typically marks a return to the roads for motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, horse riders and pedestrians.

It encourages young riders to watch out for hazards on the roads and to make the right choices about what to wear – to give them the best possible protection in the event of a collision.

The three videos – all of which pose a question to the viewer – will be shared across Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter).

Heidi Duffy MBE, facilitator of the National Young Rider Forum, said: “This campaign aims to raise awareness to new and young riders that the warmer, dryer weather will make the roads much busier.

“Therefore, it is vitally important they are watching out for hazards on the roads, as well as making the right choices about what to wear – just in case they come a cropper!”

Ruth Purdie OBE, chief executive of The Road Safety Trust, said: “It is well known that motorcyclists are over-represented in crash statistics.

“This timely campaign makes use of a great resource, which covers a series of important topics for young riders to consider.”

‘Ready to Ride?’ is designed to fit into school, college and university timetables, or any other classroom opportunity and can be delivered by road safety professionals, emergency service personnel or teaching staff.

The interactive film is 40 mins in length and features young actors who take the audience through five sections of information which potential young motorcyclists will find useful as they set out on the journey to be a new rider.

The film comes in two versions, one with subtitles. It also includes lesson plans and additional presenter information as well as evaluation sheets.

The National Young Rider Forum welcomes interested parties to pilot the resource, to inform a future national roll-out.

For more information contact Heidi Duffy MBE via email.

March 4, 2024 Post a Comment

NYRF enters partnership with Co-Pilot

The National Young Rider Forum is delighted to announce a partnership with Co-Pilot.

Bringing together road safety professionals, industry bodies and stakeholders, NYRF help members to develop collaborative campaigns and to ensure this vulnerable road user group have ready access to high quality information and advice about safe and responsible riding.

As providers of resources to road safety professionals, Co-Pilot have built a network of partnerships with a wide range of subject matter experts and stakeholder groups. The collaboration between NYRF and Co-Pilot will see knowledge, data, expertise, and ideas being shared to the benefit of our combined membership.

We’re all working toward the same goal and this partnership marks a milestone in the collective effort to reduce the number of young and novice riders killed or seriously injured.

Heidi Duffy MBE, NYRF Facilitator said, "We are thrilled to join forces with Co-Pilot in our mission to make the UK's roads safer. By working together, we can amplify our message and ensure that every driver understands the importance of being bike aware. This collaboration will enable us to reach a broader audience, driving positive behaviour change and ultimately reducing incidents."

James Evans, CEO at Co-Pilot said "I’ve long admired the excellent work of the NYRF, driven by Heidi Duffy and their members. I’m therefore very excited to see a partnership that will surely pave the way for greater collaboration on this important issue.”

January 15, 2024 Post a Comment

Young riders warned to watch out for ‘Jerks at Junctions’

The National Young Rider Forum has launched a new campaign to help keep young riders safe at junctions.

Statistics show that 60% of motorcycle collisions can occur at junctions.

The campaign, which will run across social media, highlights this statistic and provides young riders with simple set of instructions to navigate any potential dangers.

It will also appeal directly to drivers on four wheels to always check for bikers before emerging from any type of junction. Motorcyclists, particularly young inexperienced ones are road users who require extra care, consideration and concentration from drivers and junctions pose a real risk to those on two wheels.

Riders are encouraged to use the OSM/PSL routine:

Observation
Signal
Manoeuvre
Position
Speed
Look

The campaign also provides advice on overtaking and filtering.

This information has been broken down into four infographics, which will run across social media – particularly targeting Instagram.

Boosted posts will direct young riders to the campaign webpage, where they can find out more information.

The campaign launches today (15 Jan) and will run for four weeks.

Heidi Duffy MBE, facilitator of the National Young Rider Forum, said: “As this campaign clearly demonstrates, many motorcycle collisions occur at junctions.

“We want to make young riders aware of this – and hope the infographics will help to keep them safe on the road.

“We also want to ask drivers to remember that motorcyclists are smaller than other vehicles on the road and can easily be hidden by others whether moving or parked, always check for bikers at junctions, before moving out.”

January 8, 2024 Post a Comment

NYRF to develop new hazard perception test for young riders

The National Young Rider Forum is delighted to be working on the development of a good quality, motorcycle specific hazard perception test tailored to the needs of young riders.

The project has been funded by The Road Safety Trust and will be carried out with the expertise of Dr Victoria Kroll and Dr David Crundall of Esitu Solutions, a spin out company from Nottingham Trent University.

Young motorcyclists are overrepresented in crash statistics. Many of the crashes they are involved in are the fault of other vehicles, particularly those with four wheels.

This project seeks to improve the hazard perception, and hazard prediction skills of young riders.

It will do so by filming those hazards from the perspective of a motorcyclist riding in a mainly urban road environment. This will ensure the test will reflect the real dangers faced by riders.

Dr Victoria Kroll, CEO of Esitu Solutions, said: “Esitu Solutions is really excited to be collaborating with the National Young Rider Forum on this pivotal project.

“Saving lives lies at the core of our company's mission, and we are immensely grateful to The Road Safety Trust for their funding, enabling us to make riders safer on the roads.”

Heidi Duffy MBE, facilitator of the National Young Rider Forum, said: “Sadly, over the last three years, nearly 12,000 young motorcyclists have been injured in road crashes, and of those, nearly 4,000 have been killed or seriously injured.

“So, projects like this are vital, if we are to alert our riders to the hazards they could face out on the road, and reduce road crashes involving them, in the future.

“We look forward to working with Esitu Solutions on this prestigious project and wish to thank The Road Safety Trust for funding this work.”

Ruth Purdie OBE, chief executive of The Road Safety Trust, said: “It is well known that motorcyclists are over-represented in crash statistics. It is hoped that by improving the hazard perception skills of young riders, this project help reduce these collisions and save lives.”

The project is expected to be completed by 2025.

June 26, 2023 Post a Comment

National Young Rider Day: 27 June 2023

The National Young Rider Forum is excited to announce the first ever National Young Rider Day will take place on Tuesday 27 June - when the focus across the country will be on young motorcyclists.

More and more young people are choosing to ride a motorcycle to work, education, sport or leisure as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.

For many, it is their first experience of being a motorised road user.

Sadly, young riders are the most common age group to be involved in road crashes, due to this inexperience, as well as a lack of confidence and road sense.

As part of the National Young Rider Day, which uses the social media hashtag #WeAreYoungRiders, there will be events taking place across the country.

The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP) will be at Safe Ride Motorcycle and Scooter Training School (Old Barn Way, Southwick, BN42 4NT) between 11am and 2pm.

Here they will be able to interact with CBT participants, encouraging them to sign up for ICE stickers, which sit at the back of a helmet, enabling first responders to access key medical and personal information as quickly as possible.

The SSRP will also be distributing PTW merchandise – and promoting the Biker Down course.

In the evening, the NYRF is joining forces with the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership to host a free Young Rider Webinar (6:30 to 8pm).

Young riders can register to attend by clicking the following link:
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e63e979a-3f6e-48ef-99f5-3ba7b4739a12@88b0aa06-5927-4bbb-a893-89cc2713ac82

The NYRF is the leading young motorcycle road support group, and its website and social media platforms - www.newriderhub.net - are the central hub for all young riders to discover more about all things riding, including getting a licence, PPE and motorcycle maintenance.

Heidi Duffy MBE, facilitator of the NYRF, said: “Young riders are supported whilst in education, whilst at work, whilst playing sport and at home - but out on the busy roads as a vulnerable motorcyclist, they are very much on their own.

“Young riders are our sons, daughters, nieces and nephews, grandchildren and great grandchildren and are much loved.

“That’s why we have launched the first National Young Rider Day, to share the love for our young riders and help to keep them safe on the road.”

May 17, 2023 Post a Comment

Webinar to support young riders and give them a voice

The National Young Rider Forum (NYRF) is partnering with the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership to host a free webinar for young riders.

Registration is now open for the Young Rider Webinar, which takes place on 27 June (6:30-8pm), on MS Teams.

The webinar is aimed at those aged between 16-24 years. It gives them a voice to ask any questions of NYRF members who cover a large area of expertise in the world of motorcycling.

Speakers include Jody Whitfield from the DVSA, who will tell riders all about gaining their driving licences and taking their CBT test.

Other topics covered will include motorcycle PPE and maintenance, common crashes young riders are involved in (and how to avoid them) and ways of improving your skills.

Heidi Duffy MBE, facilitator of the NYRF, said: “The challenges young riders face - both on and off the road - are well documented.

“Things such as insurance and choosing the right bike can be tricky, as can choosing the right PPE, especially on a budget.

“We hope this webinar can support our army of young riders and set them up for a lifetime of happiness on two wheels, if that’s what they desire.

“Register now and come join the fun!”

The webinar forms part of the inaugural NYRF Young Rider Day.

The event seeks to raise awareness of the many young motorcyclists who take to the road on small powered motorcycles and share their journey with larger and more powerful traffic.

https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/e63e979a-3f6e-48ef-99f5-3ba7b4739a12@88b0aa06-5927-4bbb-a893-89cc2713ac82

For more information, contact Heidi via email at: heidi.duffy@viaem.co.uk

May 16, 2023 Post a Comment

NYRF infographics to promote young rider safety available FOC

The National Young Rider Forum (NYRF) is making a series of seasonal infographics, designed to improve the safety of young motorcycle riders, available to download and use free-of-charge.

The infographics have been used on social media over the last year, as part of separate themed campaigns in Summer, Winter and Spring and have been viewed 100,000s of times on NYRF social media platforms.

The infographics highlight several key issues impacting young riders and were evidence-led from the NYRF research report ‘Understanding Young Riders’.

For example, the summer series look at wearing the correct gear, bike maintenance and riding impaired by alcohol or drugs.

All sets of infographics can be found via the NYRF’s New Rider Hub website – and are free for road safety teams to use.

The NYRF are making them available in support of three major road safety campaigns that take place this week, Project Edward, Global Road Safety Week and the RoadPeace Challenge.

It is in the spirit of sharing free resources across the country (and beyond), to enable all road safety teams - regardless of budget – to communicate key messages to all road users, but particularly young motorcyclists.

Heidi Duffy MBE, facilitator of the National Young Rider Forum, said: “Over the last year, we have run several successful campaigns highlighting seasonal issues.

“These infographics are all available for road safety teams to disseminate – and we hope they will use them to promote the importance of safety among young riders.”

“We send with this free resource, best wishes to the teams at Project Edward, Global Road Safety Week and the RoadPeace Challenge, for successful events across the UK and indeed the world, to raise awareness of the huge numbers of people killed and seriously injured in road crashes every day and drastically drive down those numbers going forward.”

Anyone who uses the infographics is being encouraged to tag the @NewRiderHub in their posts.