To comply with European legislation a new practical motorcycle test was introduced from 29 September 2008, which aims to improve the standard of road safety for motorcycle and moped riders.

In October 2000, the European Commission introduced new standards for theoretical and practical driving tests conducted within the European Union (EU). The new legislation is intended to ensure that motorcycle test candidates demonstrate competence in the control of their machines at a more demanding level.

The new test event contains two elements. The higher speed exercises and other exercises are tested on safe off-road sites and take about 10 minutes to complete. The accompanied, on-road element of the test follows, consisting of a road ride covering a variety of road and traffic conditions and also includes normal stops, hill and angle starts.
Candidates who have demonstrated riding skills of a dangerously incompetent level during the off-road part of the test are not permitted to proceed to the on-road element - "If you can't ride, you can't ride!"

Facilities for the new test

The new test takes place from a network of sites provided either directly by DSA or private developers. Many of the centres are Multi-Purpose Test Centres (MPTCs), providing both motorcycle and car testing facilities. Some provide Large Goods Vehicle (LGV) and Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) testing facilities and some sites provide motorcycle testing only.

What is different about the new motorcycle test?

The new EU standards set extra and more demanding special exercises that must be included in every practical motorcycling test from the date of implementation.

These new standards include:

• - at least two exercises carried out at slow speed, including a slalom.
• - at least two exercises carried out at higher speed, of which one exercise should be in second or third gear, at a speed of at least 30 kph (approx. 19 mph) and one exercise avoiding an obstacle at a minimum speed of 50 kph (approx. 32 mph).
• - at least two braking exercises, including emergency braking at a minimum speed of 50 kph (approx. 32 mph).

The practical moped riding test

The practical moped riding test does not include the high-speed requirements and is also carried out from the new test centres, where both the obstacle avoidance and emergency braking exercises will be carried out at 30 kph (approx. 19 mph).

Why are special off-road facilities now required?

The new regulations consider that it is not safe to conduct the new higher speed and braking exercises on public roads - in built up and busy test areas, it would not be safe for the rider, other road users or the general public:

"Undertaking a fair and consistent assessment for all candidates across Great Britain would be best achieved by using a pre-determined layout using ground markings and cones. It would be impractical and unsafe to do that on a public road as to comply with the speed requirement examiners would have to use roads with a speed limit of 40 mph."

The current arrangements for Compulsory Basic Training (CBT) remain unchanged.

Though any move to increase safety for motorcyclists and other road users is welcomed, concerns have been raised in some of the UK's motorcycling press about whether the changes have made the test too difficult and whether safety has really been improved as a result. Personally, we'd like to see an equal effort being made to educate and improve the standard of car drivers but for now, politics remains beyond the remit of this website!
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