I have received this interesting topic for discussion from Alan Dale.
Editor Alan H Dale with Item TCP 298 REVISED
IT IS A FEW YEARS since I first enjoyed Mike Waite’s original educational video, so I am now delighted to report on its update in the form of a DVD, with an additional 25 minutes of a clear on-the-road commentary and instructions to a group of his students, enabled by improvements in radio communications via the latest headgear as worn by examiners, trainers and students.
Police Advanced Riding Techniques
Taught by MIKE WAITE, ex-Police motorcycle instructor and advanced driver
ONE REMARK by Mike Waite to his civilian advanced-riding students that I particularly like is: “The visual point won’t tell porkies!” Very good indeed, as too much official road safety material is marred by insufficiently thought-out rulings and advice that all too often don’t make enough sense until far more carefully defined.
What I most criticise, is the sheer stupidity of race-track-style driving or riding at speed over blind hill crests and around blind bends — many of them on A-roads, B-roads, ex-B-roads, and C-roads — without the benefit of roads-racing officials to ensure that there is no oncoming traffic or straying animals or whatever. On a high moorland route in 2008, from Skipton to Haworth, Yorkshire, I observed hardly any other driver or rider who had the defensive nous to reduce speed to the extent that they would have been able to stop within the distance they could SEE to be clear of hazards. Something I cannot fathom is the cowardly deafness over this and other vital road-safety issues that seemingly afflicts the so-called Slower Speeds Initiative and the Road Danger Reduction Forum and others of that ilk, too numerous to mention.
I was reminded of this, four years ago, when my wife and I visited the Isle of Skye, in Northwest Scotland, and watched with mixed admiration and disgust as seemingly hundreds of motorcyclists scorched past our modest family car. “They certainly can ride well, but can they STOP?” was my reaction to riders who handled their bikes expertly, but without imagination as to what might be hit around the next blind bend, should their speed be too great, even allowing for maximum safety-vision positioning. Hadn’t they heard of the Boy Scouts’ warning to be prepared for any eventuality? Even proverbial elephants being led around blind bends!
(2)
The visual point
The visual (or vanishing) point is the most important part of cornering, as explained in detail by Mike’s MW Police Advanced Riding Techniques School, based in Templecombe, Somerset, and has everything to do with maximising safer riding as an art form, as closely as possible for civilian riders to the world-respected British Home Office Police Class One of the unfortunately now-diminishing Police Riding and Driving Colleges throughout Great Britain.
The visual point is where the road ahead bends so as to cause the two sides of it to ‘meet’ in the distance, so that one may correctly adjudge the severity of the corner by the rate at which it opens up to afford a clear view around it. Never once did I observe Mike or his group of three students, on an actual live training ride, on his DVD, approach a corner or bend at a speed greater than that needed for maximum safety: if it was a right-hand bend they were positioned as far to their left as safely possible, promptly sacrificing cornering position (and speed) for safety in the case of other hazards appearing before them, or as closely near the central hazard line as suitable for the particular road when nearing a left-hand bend or corner so as to attain maximum vision around it, accelerating out of the bend at the precise moment that it was completely safe to do so.
Great stress is set on Mike’s course for the need always to keep one’s head up so as to acquire long-range vision as to the changing circumstances ahead, while always fully aware of what is happening, or is likely to occur, behind and all around one, with checks in one’s mirrors at least every 10 seconds.
Visual links
These include dead ground and blind summits (already mentioned in my second paragraph), with the addition of safely positioning one’s machine for all occasions, ‘riding wide’ for minor junctions on one’s left and keeping well to the left away from minor junctions on one’s right, and ‘eyeballing’ every driver waiting to join ‘your’ road to ensure he or she has actually seen you.
Overtaking (a mild criticism here)
While thoroughly endorsing Mike’s advice for safer overtaking, that the manoeuvre always should be accomplished as quickly as possible, being fully in accord with Motorcycle Roadcraft, the Police Riders’ Manual (1985), neither the Ministry’s The Motorcycling Manual (1997) nor the Institute of Advanced Motorists’ Pass Your Advanced Motorcycling Test (1997) are responsibly clear about temporarily and very safely indeed breaking the open-road speed limit of 60mph (70mph on dual-carriageways and motorways) while in the act of overtaking in maximum safety.
Indeed, when some years ago I attempted to discuss the problem with IAM HQ, I was very firmly told that the Institute could not countenance temporarily breaking a speed limit in any circumstances, which means that diehards of their persuasion would rather put others and themselves in mortal danger if unforeseen circumstances arise during an otherwise soundly estimated overtaking manoeuvre. Nor is the official view of Police senior officers any more practical and responsible, as they have ignored me whenever I have tried to discuss maximum safety while overtaking.
For many years the Police were infinitely more sensible about it than nowadays, as indeed I overheard (!) when the former IAM Chief Executive, the late Bob Peters, was talking to then IAM motorcycle test examiner Robin Hawes, also a riding and driving instructor for Norfolk Constabulary, when they agreed that it was acceptable for riders (and drivers) temporarily to exceed a speed limit on the open road, if they promptly resumed the signed speed limit having safely overtaken another vehicle. Thirty-five years ago the then chief of Traffic Police for Norfolk, Superintendent Ron Spalding, discussing safer overtaking with me as another member of the Committee of Norfolk Group of Advanced Motorists, stated that no Police officer worth his salt would find fault with any driver who safely broke an open road speed limit, when overtaking, if he or she promptly but smoothly resumed that limit.
(3)
Upping the pace
This means riding or driving at the maximum safe speed on the open road, which should make good sense to any rational person, as inevitably the occasion will arise when it is highly necessary to arrive swiftly safely at a destination for many valid reasons, apart from sheer joy of motorcycling in one of its most exciting forms. (I write as one at the age of 77 who nowadays gains more pleasure from gently quiet-lane riding a 104mpg 2005 Honda Pantheon 125cc 4-stroke scooter, much as I used to ride a bicycle in the halcyon days of friendly 1946?1950s cycling before the present-day antipathy arose between various kinds of riders, when environmentalism-gone-mad chooses unjustly to favour mostly untrained cyclists against mostly quite decently trained riders of powered two-wheelers.)
General observation of speed limits
Another mild criticism of Mike’s advice. Although never permitting his group of students (in the DVD) to ride less than in maximum safety through villages, I feel he is at odds with not amending a formerly very sensible suggestion not to exceed 40mph while in a 30mph speed limit. In 2006, I understood that not being liable for prosecution meant not exceeding a limit by more than 10% to allow for human error, plus 2mph to allow for errors within most speedometers, thus a permitted 35mph in a 30 limit, whether or not common sense would suggest a safe progression to be 40mph, or 20mph as circumstances, particularly in the vicinity of schools, would permit, if only sanity once again prevailed. [In 2008, however, even the 10% + 2mph commonsense leeway is now gravely in peril of being overwhelmed by moronic tamperers with what still is best in British road safety.]
‘A Biker’s Master Class’
At the outset, Mike Waite advises that professional tuition should be taken before venturing into the higher realms of vastly safer motorcycling. I would add that, with my experience of the excellence provided by the likes of Norfolk Advanced Motorcyclists with their Associate-training preparation for the IAM’s advanced motorcycling defensive riding test, even higher education of the level provided by Mike Waite, not forgetting that other splendid Police-based advanced courses are listed and reported in Bike motorcycling journal, should be the objective of all who truly care.
Mike’s course and DVD are of the finest quality to be expected by those already advanced riders who most responsibly wish to progress to an even greater degree towards the surely ultimate ideal of the Home Office Police Class One. Even the Government’s Driving Standards Agency is making worthwhile steps towards this ideal, but it is a very long haul, not assisted by the almost wholly negative influence of those who will not appreciate safer excellence via Police Roadcraft in any form. I therefore commend the MW Police Advanced Riding Techniques School and DVD to all who intelligently and genuinely care for positive road safety. For course information, please see Mike’s website at
http://www.mikewaite.co.uk or email him on
mail@mikewaite.co.uk The DVD may be ordered through Mike’s website by credit card or cheque.