[REPORT]
New rules for PTW riders in the 3rd Driving Licence Directive
CIECA held a workshop on the new A category licence
The 3rd Driving Licence Directive will enter into force on 19 January 2013. It will affect millions of European users and determine how the PTW market is accessed by new customers as well as the design of the new motorcycles and scooters which will have to take into account the new power limits.
On June 16 2009, CIECA, the International Commission of Driver and Rider Testing Authorities, held a workshop on the new requirements in the 3rd driving licence directive. The event was attended by the European Commission, the motorcycling community and EU member state representatives.
CIECA’s research on access rules to mopeds and motorcycles highlighted the considerable differences in current national licencing regulations .
The European Commission emphasised that member states have 3 choices in terms of progressive access from categories A1 to A2, and A2 to A:
- To offer riders the choice of either training or a test
- To impose training only
- To impose testing only
ACEM stressed the possible positive outcomes of this directive as it could contribute to further enable the mobility contribution of PTWs, while at the same time improve users' safety. Through wise transposition into National legislation (by 19 January 2011), Member States can encourage progressive access, also through the use of equivalences with car licence for lower categories of PTWs, develop training (pre-licence; in progressive access; for equivalences), all within a “lifelong learning” approach seeking to improve the attitude of both riders and car drivers. The new PTW test, already introduced in most Member States (2DLD), is amongst the most complete and requires most candidates to undergo training prior to the test.
ACEM encourages the User to undergo a lifelong learning process, as a continuation of road safety school education, with minimum access ages enabling to build up knowledge and experience on lower PTW categories, in view of accessing higher PTW categories (and the car) in a safer way.
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Motorcycle training serves the purpose of acquiring new skills, or to further perfect them, in order to safely operate a PTW (powered two or three wheeler) in a traffic environment. Training curricula can contain many different aspects, ranging from theoretical knowledge, to practical on-the-bike training depending on the Member State. Such training is either freely accessible on a voluntary basis, or mandatory prior to passing the test of the driving licence. The requirements and content of such training are neither harmonized nor legislated by the European Union, as this is a national competence, hence the diversity (from the very extensive and expensive to virtually non-existent; training not always resulting in fewer accidents; perhaps due to the type of training, not appropriate).
ACEM favours training for progressive access, believing training to place more emphasis on ongoing learning and to constitute less of a barrier to access to more powerful powered two-wheelers.
Representatives of several countries pointed out that the quality of their rider trainers and their overall availability are low and consequently the testing option for progressive access is likely to be the most obvious choice for progressive access.
It appears that few countries have decided what training/testing options to offer to riders within the new progressive access rules. However, on a tentative basis, it appears that countries such as Estonia, Netherlands, Sweden and Malta are tending towards the testing option, Britain may well offer a choice of either training or a test, and Finland and France are likely to choose the training option.
Read more on ACEM's position as regards to the 3rd Driving Licence Directive
The full workshop report, speaker presentations, position & research papers, etc can be downloaded from the CIECA site.
Read more on ACEM's Position on the Third Driving Licence
[INDEX]
ACEM MEETS EC VICE PRESIDENT GÜNTER VERHEUGEN
SCRAPPING SCHEME ADOPTED IN SPAIN
INTERVIEW WITH HENDRIK VON KUENHEIM
COMMUNICATION ON THE FUTURE OF TRANSPORT
Competition for rider trainers
Submit an exercise for riders
CIECA, the International Commission of Driver and Rider Testing Authorities has launched a worldwide competition to collect examples of the best rider trainig exercises. Together with its partners ACEM, FIM and FEMA, CIECA invites rider trainers to submit rider training exercises related to the ten most frequent accident causes for PTWs. This competition has been re-launched with a new deadline of December 1, 2009. An example of a submission was given by the Finnish national road safety organisation. The winner of the BikeSafety competition will win a Suzuki SIXteen 150cc scooter. Runner-up prizes include guided tours and tickets for racing events.