One word describes the new test - pathetic!

It comes as no surprise to the majority of bikers that on day one of the ‘new test’ two accidents occur causing injury to one learner. Why is it that in conditions that look pretty awful and wet in the picture was the swerve test even allowed to take place in the first place?

More importantly, why does the DSA and government see it fit to teach learners to swerve, when i teach all day long every day educating learners to look well ahead and anticipate what may or may not happen ahead and take action to avoid having to swerve. This ridiculous new test seems to go against every thing that we should do.

Why too does the swerve have to be done at 31mph, when even on a faster road if you recognise a potential problem ahead, the chances are you are going to slow down to a lower speed than 31mph just in case the hazard developed into a problem? What has happened to ‘defensive riding’?

Also regarding the accidents on this ‘new test’, who is going to be paying for the possible repairs that now need to be carried out to the bikes which were dropped? Who is going to pay for the down time the instructors are going to suffer whilst the bikes are repaired?

The test is a complete and utter nonsense, how many of us, whilst out on our Sunday afternoon rides, start performing figure of eights, slaloms or swerves? The previous test allowed the learner to be tested on absolutely everything he would encounter as a qualified rider out on the open road and was more suited to todays riding conditions.

Up until Friday of last week, motorbike tests were conducted at the local test centre, now all learners have to travel a minimum of 20 miles to reach the new test centre for module one, and this is still very low miles compared to the majority of learners, but then have to go back to the new centre for module two, the ‘on road test’? Why cant this module two not be conducted at the test centres that were previously used for the old test?

The DSA and governing body appear to have been led again by the opinions of Europe and have totally disregarded their own general publics requirements. Lets get the government ministers responsible for implementing this stupid test, to get out there on a rainy day, reach a speed of 31mph and then swerve and lets see how many of them suffer broken bones and time off ‘work’.

Only one word describes this test, PATHETIC!