ScooterSafe-London

Looking to improve your riding skills? Want to make sure you are getting the best out of your moped or scooter? Want low-cost, practical advice that will give you the knowledge you need to keep safe on London's busy streets? Then look no further than ScooterSafe-London.

Led by experienced motorcycle officers from the Metropolitan Police, for just £45 you can tap into their years of safe biking experience and make yourself a better, wiser and safer biker.

Courses are geared up to sub-250cc scooters or mopeds and so the training you receive is really appropriate to the type of riding you'll do. The day includes advice on maintenance, road positioning, observation and controls, with personal tips after an observed ride.

Your day's training will give you real confidence in the way you handle your powered two-wheeler and will get you thinking like a rider - that's really important if you only ride occasionally and haven't yet developed the instincts that will keep you safe on the road.

Courses are held regularly through the year at two sites: London Gateway Services, at the end of the M1 in north London, and The Warren, for south London. They cost just £45 for the day, including lunch, with discounts available for multiple bookings. All you need to bring is a roadworthy scooter or moped, your UK driving licence (both parts if it's a photo licence), a valid MOT certificate (if required) and an insurance certificate. 

Get a lifetime's experience in safer powered two-wheeler riding in a single day with ScooterSafe-London. See http://www.bikesafe-london.co.uk/courses/scootersafe-london.php 

Clothing

There's a kind of rash that scooter and moped riders are prone to every Summer, and Boots doesn't have a cream for. It's called roadrash!

It's a nasty little skin problem that occurs when powered two-wheeler riders take a tumble when they're not wearing the right clothing or footwear. Even at really low speeds, scraping your bare legs over the rough, abrasive road surface can leave you with scars that stay with you forever.

So what's the best cure for roadrash? Prevention. Never ride with bare legs, uncovered arms, or in strappy sandals or lightweight footwear. Remember, the thicker or heavier the clothing you're wearing when you come off your bike, the more protection you'll receive.

Strong shoes/boots are a necessity - even if they don't match the weather! They'll protect your feet and give your ankles support and could prevent a nasty break.

It might seem odd to wrap up in heavy clothing when the sun's shining but if you do have a fall from your scooter or bike, your clothing is the only thing protecting you from the surface of the road. 

No matter how short the trip, always wear the Right Gear.  .

Riding Tips

Here's some easy tips for safer riding: watch your speed, think about your positioning - and keep your eyes open for potential hazards. Starting with the last of these first, it's vital you learn to spot where the problems may occur.
 
Take special care at junctions. Other road users often fail to spot the slim silhouette of a scooter or moped as it rides towards them and will turn across your path. Even if you know you have the right of way, slow down and be ready for the driver who fails to spot you before he makes a right turn.

Likewise don't undertake in heavy traffic, particularly near junctions. Many drivers rarely use their passenger side mirror when turning left so won't even consider the chance you could be sneaking up on their ‘off-side’ and will simply cut across you.

Watch your speed. Ask yourself, how quickly can I stop - and how quickly should I be going in this heavy traffic? Am I leaving myself enough time to make an emergency manoeuvre if someone else puts me at risk? Pushing the speed limit might shave a minute or two off your journey time but is it really worth it? You need to have your powered two wheeler under control at all times - you can't do that if you're riding too fast. Take your time.

But don't be a wallflower. There's a culture among certain car and van users that powered two-wheeler riders are second-class citizens and should be riding on the inside strip of road next to the pavement, in the gutter. But gutters are full of debris, and deep grids and channels can be a real problem to mopeds and scooters. You've got a right to be on the road, too, so stay in your lane. Ride in the middle of it, away from the trouble on the inside - and it makes you more visible to other road users, too.

Drink Riding

Popping into the pub after work for a relaxing drink after a hard day in the office is a tempting idea now summer's with us - but if you're one of the thousands who commute to work on your scooter or moped, stick to non-alcoholic drinks.

Powered two-wheeler riders are especially susceptible to the effects of alcohol. Even a single unit of alcohol can impact on your balance and handling skills, and can start to lower your inhibitions and make you more likely to take risks just when you need to be at your most cautious.

With strong lager and large pub measures commonplace, it's all too easy to think one drink won't matter when in fact you're already drinking enough to cloud your judgement and take the edge off your riding.

While overall figures for those penalised for being over the drink-drive limit have fallen in recent years, there's been a rise in the number of people involved in motoring crashes with a legal amount of alcohol in their system.

This suggests more people are prepared to drink a little and ride, gambling that they will pass a breath test but not realising the effects drinking will have on their riding ability. 

It's just not worth the risk: riding and drinking never mix, in even the smallest of quantities, so the best advice is to stick to non-alcoholic drinks if you're thinking of riding home.