Table Of ContentMotorcycle
Roadcraft
The Police Rider’s Handbook
The Stationery Office
London
Authors: Penny Mares, Philip Coyne, Barbara MacDonald
Design: Carl Gamble
Illustration: Nick Moxsom
Project management: Dr Amie Brown, The Police Foundation
The College of Policing has provided a generous grant towards the cost of producing this handbook.
The Police Foundation would like to thank the College for its financial support.
The Police Foundation
The Police Foundation is a wholly independent charity dedicated to using high-quality evidence to
improve policing for the benefit of the public.
For further details of The Police Foundation’s work and other related Roadcraft publications, contact:
The Police Foundation, The Foundry, 17–19 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR
Tel: 020 3752 5630
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.roadcraft.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_police_fdn (#Roadcraft #MCRoadcraft)
Charity Registration Number: 278257
© The Police Foundation 2013
Other essential guides to safe driving and riding also published by
The Stationery Office include:
Roadcraft – The Police Driver’s Handbook (2013)
ISBN 978 0 11 708187 1
Roadcraft DVD – The Police Driver’s Course on Advanced Driving (2005)
ISBN 978 0 11 341308 9
To order or find out more about these or any other riding titles, please refer to the contact details
printed inside the back cover of this book.
Applications for reproduction should be made in writing to The Stationery Office Limited, St Crispins,
Duke Street, Norwich NR3 1PD
New edition 2013
Fifth impression 2015
ISBN 978 0 11 708188 8
ePub ISBN 978 0 11 708223 6
Mobi ISBN 978 0 11 708225 0
Acknowledgements
This edition of Motorcycle Roadcraft has been approved by the Association
of Chief Police Officers for England and Wales, and Police Scotland who
are satisfied that it reflects current best practice in police rider instruction
and takes into account the relevant views of civilian experts.
The Police Foundation would like to thank the many individuals and
organisations who gave so freely of their time and expertise in the
preparation of this new edition of Motorcycle Roadcraft. Particular thanks
to Dr Lisa Dorn, Reader in Driver Behaviour, Driving Research Group,
Cranfield University, for background research and contributions to Chapter
1, Becoming a better rider, and to Malcolm Jackson, Senior Driving
Instructor, Hertfordshire Constabulary, for his contribution to Chapter 12,
Emergency response. Some sections of material in Chapters 1 and 3 are
adapted from Human Aspects of Police Driving by kind permission of Dr
Gordon Sharpe and Police Scotland.
This new edition of Motorcycle Roadcraft was produced with the strategic
oversight of a Standing Advisory Board with representatives from major
police and civilian riding organisations, to whom we are most grateful.
Standing Advisory Board
John Graham, Director, The Police Foundation (Chair)
Michael Cleary, former Head of Specialist Training, Scottish Police College
John Dale, Operational Lead Driving School, Metropolitan Police
Lisa Dorn, Reader in Driver Behaviour, Driving Research Group, Cranfield
University
Paul Helbing, Assistant Chief Driving Examiner, Driver and Vehicle
Standards Agency (DVSA)
Ian Holden, Senior Education Advisor, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
(DVSA)
Peter Rodger, Chief Examiner and Head of Driving Standards, Institute of
Advanced Motorists (IAM)
Helen Schofield, Head of Learning Strategy and Development, College of
Policing
Bob Smalley, Chief Examiner, Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
(RoSPA) Advanced Drivers and Riders
It was undertaken with the dedicated help of a Reflective Practitioners
group of senior police, fire, ambulance and civilian instructors, whose
contribution to the detailed editorial and updating process has been
invaluable.
Reflective Practitioners
Darren Faulds, Inspector, Road Policing Division, Police Scotland (Chair)
Byron Chandler, Senior Driving Instructor, Gloucestershire Constabulary
Michael Collins, Traffic Law and Collision Investigation Trainer, West
Yorkshire Police
Kevin Day, Driver Training Manager, West Midlands Fire Service
Kevin Dell, Driving Centre Manager, Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire Fire
Rescue Services
Ady Ellwood, Motorcycle Trainer, West Yorkshire Police
Chris Gilbert, former Sergeant Instructor, MPMDS Hendon
Malcolm Jackson, Senior Driving Instructor, Hertfordshire Constabulary
Gary Jane, Senior Driving Instructor, Devon and Cornwall Police
Paul Mostyn, Metropolitan Police Motorcycle Tasking Team/BikeSafe-
London
Andy Reid, Head of Driver Training and Development, East of England
Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Mervyn Turner, Head of Driver Training, North Wales Police
Richard Whitehouse, Car Instructor/Senior Motorcycle Instructor, Devon
and Cornwall Police
We are grateful to Ian Shannon, former ACPO Lead for Police Driver
Training, Colm McNelis, ACPO DCC/ACC Staff Officer and Julie Finegan,
Driver Training, Deputy Commissioner’s Portfolio, for their help and support
with the new edition. We are also indebted to members of the Editorial and
Project Management Board.
Editorial and Project Management Board
Penny Mares, Educational Author and Editor
Amie Brown, Senior Research and Development Officer, The Police
Foundation
David Bryan, Commissioning Editor, TSO
Emily Egle and Lisa Daniels, Client Service Managers, TSO
Foreword
Motorcycle Roadcraft is the official police rider’s handbook, and is widely
used by the other emergency services. This new edition has been prepared
through careful consultation with senior police, other emergency services
and civilian riding instructors experienced in advanced rider training. It
incorporates the best and most reliable parts of previous editions with the
latest knowledge in this rapidly developing field. While designed to
complement rider training and practice, Motorcycle Roadcraft is a valuable
learning aid for anyone who wishes to raise their riding competence to a
higher level.
Motorcycle Roadcraft is endorsed by:
Contents
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Preface to the new edition
About Motorcycle Roadcraft
Chapter 1 Becoming a better rider
Becoming a better rider
What makes a good rider?
Competences for police riders
Your vulnerability as a rider
What are the commonest causes of motorcycle crashes?
Critical learning from experience
Develop awareness of your personal vulnerability
Defensive riding
Conspicuity – ride to be seen
You are especially vulnerable at junctions
The right clothing and protective equipment
Human factor risks for police riders
Distraction due to multi-tasking
Riding stress
Operational stressors
Time pressure and the purpose of your journey
‘Noble cause’ risk-taking
‘Red mist’
How you learn
Training, practice and feedback
Overconfidence after training
Self-assessment will help you continually improve
Be honest
Check your understanding
Chapter 2 The system of motorcycle control
The need for a system of motorcycle control
Integrating a range of competences
What is the system of motorcycle control?
How the system works
The importance of information
Mirrors, rear observation and signals
The system of motorcycle control
Information
Position
Speed
Gear
Acceleration
Use the system flexibly
Applying the system to a left-hand turn
Applying the system to a right-hand turn
Applying the system to a roundabout
Re-applying the system to leave the roundabout
Applying the system to a potential hazard
Check your understanding
Chapter 3 Information, observation and anticipation
Processing complex information
Improving your information processing
Tips to improve information processing
Why observation and anticipation are essential for better
riding
What is a hazard?
Planning
Anticipate hazards
Prioritise hazards
Decide what to do
Improving your observation
Scanning the environment
Look where you want to go
Drivers who look but fail to see you
You see what you expect to see
Rear observation
Peripheral vision
Zones of visibility
Your choice of speed
Keep your distance
Human factors that affect observation and anticipation
Alertness
Tiredness
Other physiological factors
Check your understanding
Chapter 4 Anticipating hazards in the riding environment
Night riding
You
Your machine and equipment
Your lights
Following other vehicles at night
Information from other vehicles’ lights
Dazzle
Reflective studs and markings
Cat’s eyes
Other ways to improve observation at night
Weather conditions
Riding in bad weather
Using lights in bad weather
Observing when visibility is low
Anticipating the effects of windy weather
The road surface in winter
Micro climates
Road surface
Road surface irregularities
Riding through water
Road signs and markings
