St Austell young riders offered free police motorbike course

There is a hazard perception exercise most learner riders never get near, a fully kitted police motorcycle simulator that throws city traffic, sudden pedestrians and dodgy junctions at you one after another. It is one part of a free training day now open to young riders in St Austell, and there are only two of these sessions left this year.

📷Credit: Devon & Cornwall Police Road Safety Team

What the Gear Up day actually involves

The Devon & Cornwall Police Road Safety Team runs Gear Up for riders aged 16 to 24, and it is free to attend. The day runs from 9am to 4pm and needs a minimum of six young riders to go ahead, with room for up to twelve.

It starts with arrival, tea and coffee, and classroom introductions, followed by a road safety input with short videos and first aid training delivered by Doc Bike. Riders then get the police motorcycle simulator and hazard awareness session, before breaking for lunch (an hour, bring your own or buy something locally).

The afternoon covers slow riding skills, including a slow riding race with instructors from IAM, DAM, RoSPA and CAM, and a road riding session where a police motorcyclist observes each rider out on the road. The day closes with a debrief, freebies and certificates.

📷Credit: Devon & Cornwall Police Road Safety Team

Dates, and what you will need to bring

Two dates are confirmed for the rest of the year. A course originally planned for Helston could not go ahead due to staff sickness and low numbers, which makes these the last free sessions of 2026.

• Saturday 24 October 2026 at St Austell Fire Station
• Saturday 12 December 2026 at Exeter Police Station

Whichever day draws the bigger group is the one that runs. Riders need their own bike, road legal, taxed, insured and with a current MOT, plus a valid licence to bring along on the day.

📷Credit: Devon & Cornwall Police Road Safety Team

How to sign up

Anyone interested should email their details to [email protected]. The team describes the day as relaxed and friendly throughout, with a chance to have your photo taken on a police bike or in the simulator alongside the practical riding skills.

Older or more experienced riders are pointed towards a separate scheme, Bike Safe, run for more mature motorcyclists rather than the 16 to 24 age group covered by Gear Up.

“We look forward to meeting you,” the Bike Safe team said.

📷Credit: Devon & Cornwall Police Road Safety Team