Free Online Course Could Save New Cornish Bikers From Costly CBT Mistakes

Thinking about jumping on a bike for the first time? There’s a free pre-course you can do from your sofa that might just make the difference between a confident first ride and a wobbly, nervous one.

Vision Zero South West is pointing new riders towards Ridefree, a free eLearning course designed to prepare people for their Compulsory Basic Training (CBT). The course was developed by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and Highways England, and it has already picked up a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award and a Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) Kier Road Safety Award.

What is Ridefree?

Ridefree is a set of pre-course eLearning modules that act as an enhancement to CBT. The idea is simple. CBT covers a lot of ground in one day, and most learners feel some nerves before their first ride. Doing the eLearning beforehand means riders turn up better prepared, with more time to focus on the practical skills rather than trying to absorb theory at the same time.

The course typically takes around an hour to complete. You can do it in one go or save your progress and come back later.

What you’ll cover

There are five pre-course modules to work through before the practical CBT session:

• Module 1: The Highway Code and hazard perception
• Module 2: Motorcycle clothing, equipment and maintenance
• Module 3: The link between rider behaviour and rider safety
• Module 4A: Risk-increasing factors (part 1)
• Module 4B: Risk-increasing factors (part 2)
• Module 5: The impact of being involved in an incident, and becoming an experienced rider

Once all five modules are finished, riders automatically receive a Ridefree certificate.

How to sign up

Riders can register through the Safe Driving For Life website. During sign-up there’s a question asking where you heard about Ridefree. Vision Zero South West is asking new riders to tick the National Young Rider Forum box.

More information about the course is available on the New Rider Hub.

What learners and trainers say

One learner described the course as easy to navigate and useful as an introduction to the roads, saying it “highlighted some good points about the mentality of some road users and how to conduct yourself mentally and physically to be a confident and courteous road user”.

A trainer called it “an absolute gem” and said they had introduced it into the pre-CBT information sent out to customers. Another said it gave trainees a useful reference point for the practical Elements of CBT.

For anyone in Cornwall about to book their first CBT, an hour on the sofa beforehand could make the day on the bike a whole lot smoother.