Teenage scooter and motorbike riders in Portsmouth can now access a free road safety course funded by Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones. SmartRide combines classroom learning with observed rides alongside Roads Policing Unit motorcyclists, teaching skills beyond the standard Compulsory Basic Training.
The first course ran on 28 June and every student reported feeling safer on the roads afterwards. Acting Inspector Tom Waller from the Roads Policing Unit said inexperience and compromised decision making are common causes of collisions involving young motorcyclists. The next session takes place on 18 July.
Donna Jones urged parents to sign up their teenagers. The course targets the gap between basic training and the hazard perception that comes with experience. SmartRide is free and funded through her Road Safety Emerging Needs Fund, which also supports the fire service’s Biker Down programme. Biker Down runs free three-hour sessions on incident scene management, casualty care, and visibility at stations including Cosham and Southsea.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service relaunched Biker Down in April with 14 planned sessions. Together the courses form a wider push to cut motorcycle casualties by giving young riders practical skills taught by emergency services professionals who see the consequences of collisions first-hand.
SmartRide is designed so riders can apply what they learn throughout their lives. Parents can find details and sign up via the Commissioner’s website.
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