[NEWS]

HONDA'S RIDING TRAINER ADOPTED BY 62 SCHOOLS IN ITALY

A pilot project for road safety has been implemented in 62 schools in Rome with the support of Rome’s Automobile Club. Honda’s Riding Trainer is now used in traffic education classes in 62 middle and high schools in the Italian capital and in its region.

Developed by Honda with a view to wider use of motorcycle safety training devices, the Riding Trainer teaches riders to foresee and predict the dangers encountered in motorcycle riding. The Riding Trainer features a Riding Evaluation function to advise the user and is ideal for convenient and easy training in motorcycle dealerships, driving schools and specialised training centres.

The Riding Trainers are programmed to confront future PTW riders with a range of different traffic hazard situations, from congested city streets to mountain roads with dangerous curves, from driving in the fog to PTW use during the night hours.

Italian schools can issue the AM driving licence that entitles riders from the age of 14 to drive a moped. Being able to evaluate risks while riding is a determining factor in order to prevent accidents, especially among young and inexperienced riders. The Riding Trainer focuses especially on hazard awareness, by improving the hazard perception skills of riders of powered two wheelers.

The European Motorcycle Accident In Depth Study (MAIDS) shows that of the 87.5% of human errors, 37.1% were attributed to PTW riders: failures were usually in perceiving the danger (12%), in misinterpreting the upcoming danger (3.6%), in taking the wrong decision (13%) and performing a wrong reaction during the avoiding manoeuvres (5.5%). These failures, probably due to lack of adequate experience, may be reduced with a better and more focused training on how to perceive, understand and react to traffic hazards. 

The teachers of the schools, that purchased this educational tool, will also have to attend a course in order to learn how to correctly use the Trainers, so that classes can be independently scheduled during the school year.

For more information on MAIDS: http://maids.acembike.org