Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency
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Motorcycle insurance costs drop thanks to ERS
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) and the Motorcycle Industry Association have teamed up with leading motorcycle insurance companies to offer significant insurance discounts to all qualified bikers who successfully take part in the new 'Enhanced Rider Scheme' (ERS).
The ERS scheme is a new training package designed to meet with the Government Motorcycling Strategy, which aims to see significant reductions in the number of fatal and serious injury road accidents on our roads each year involving motorcyclists.
The scheme aims to encourage and help qualified riders become safer on the roads and so reduce accidents.
A national network of DSA Registered Post test Motorcycle Trainers (RPMT) has been developed to deliver rider skills assessments and training to those people who want to take part in the Enhanced Rider Scheme. Riders assessed as having no significant weaknesses receive a 'DSA Certificate of Competence - Enhanced Rider Bonus', which entitles them to insurance discounts. Riders who have significant weaknesses receive structured training and will receive the certificate upon successful improvement.
Many of the leading motorcycle insurers have signed up to the scheme and are prepared to offer substantial discounts to riders who can show they can ride to the ERS standard. The insurance brokers and direct insurers currently sponsoring the scheme are: AA Insurance, Bennett's, Bikesure, Carole Nash, Chandler Direct, CIA, Devitt, Direct Choice, E Bike, Hastings Direct, MCE, Lexham, Motorcycle Direct, Norwich Union Direct, Express, Rampdale, Premium choice, Swinton. The scheme is supported by the following insurers: AXA, Chaucer, Equity Red Star, Groupama, Highway, KGM, Link, Zenith, NIG, Norwich Union and Royal & Sun Alliance.
Bikers wishing to take part in the scheme can find their local DSA RPMT at: http://www.dsa.gov.uk/Bikes.asp and follow the relevant links.
The launch of the voluntary Register of Post Test Motorcycle Trainers has been welcomed by the motorcycling community and already over 239 post-test trainers are on the register nationwide.
DSA has set minimum entry criteria, agreed with the Motorcycle Training Industry for joining the register and is quality assuring the scheme to ensure standards are maintained. Information from: http://www.transportoffice.gov.uk
There are two ways of becoming a DSA Registered Post-test motorcycle trainer: One of the ways of qualifying is by passing a DSA Theory, a riding-ability test and instructional-ability test. The other way is by completing a DSA Accredited Instructor Training Course & a DSA theory test.
The Agency is inviting applications to join the register from those involved in motorcycle instructor training and who would like to offer such Instructor Training Courses. Those interested can apply to DSA for a starter pack which includes guidance notes and an initial application form. Request a starter pack by calling our information line 0191 201 8089.
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Notes to Editors:
1. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is an executive agency * of the Department for Transport.
2. The DSA's vision is "Safe Driving for Life" with an overall mission to contribute towards a Government target of achieving a 40% reduction in riders and drivers killed or seriously injured in road accidents, in the age group up to 24 years, by 2010.
3. Current information on road casualties is available from the Department for Transport website: http://www.dft.gov.uk
4. The Agency's aim is to promote road safety through setting standards for drivers, riders and trainers, testing drivers and riders fairly and efficiently, maintaining the registers of Approved Driving Instructors; Large Goods Vehicle Instructors; Fleet Trainers; Driving Instructor Trainers and Post Test Motorcycle Trainers; supervising Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) for learner motorcyclists; and driver education and the provision of learning resources.
5. DSA is a trading fund * with an expected turnover of around £199 million for the year 2008/9, fully funded by fee income and revenue from its activities.
6. DSA employs over 2,700 staff, of which some 2,000 are driving examiners based at over 400 test centres across mainland Great Britain. In 2007/2008 the Agency conducted 1.8 million practical tests for car drivers, over 95,000 vocational tests and 94,000 motorcycle rider tests. A total of 1.7 million theory tests were carried out at 158 centres. At the end of the year there were around 43,600 people on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors.
7. DSA was one of the first Government Agencies to introduce an online booking service. Candidates can book and manage their theory and practical test appointments on line at http://www.direct.gov.uk/drivingtest
* Executive agency:
An executive agency is semi-detached from its parent department and manages its own budget with freedom from ad hoc, day to day intervention and much of central, government-wide regulation. They are run under the organisation and direction of a Chief Executive recruited through open competition. An executive agency has accountability for the performance of specific operational tasks as a corporate unit, including focused performance targets set by the parent department and personal accountability of the chief executive for performance.
* Trading Fund:
A trading fund is a means of financing trading activities undertaken by Government that would previously have been financed by annual appropriation from Parliament. A trading fund permits the establishment of a self-accounting unit that remains under the control and management of Ministers and accountable to Parliament through Ministers, but has greater freedom to manage its financial affairs. Effectively that means the trading fund body can use its income to settle its liabilities and retain year-end cash balances.
Establishing the trading fund does not alter the Agency's constitutional position and it remains part of the Department for Transport.
