1. The review of the motorcycle test was announced by Mike Penning MP, Road Safety Minister, in June 2010, in response to public concerns about the changes to the test introduced in April 2009. The aim has been to devise changes to the test which deliver a single event test, carried out on the road where possible, which will maintain riding standards, improve safety and increase accessibility of the test to all candidates. Work has focussed on the specified manoeuvres required by EU legislation, in particular the hazard avoidance manoeuvre, and on improved service delivery to increase the number and geographical coverage of locations from which testing is available.

2. A potential new hazard avoidance manoeuvre has been designed, which can be performed on the road. This includes a more flexible approach to assessing whether candidates have attained the speed requirement, which can also be applied to the emergency stop. Alternative approaches to the slow speed manoeuvres and the manoeuvre at 30 kmh (19 mph) have also been considered.

3. Further work is needed to confirm that the revised manoeuvres achieve the aims of improving safety and maintaining standards. Further consideration also needs to be given to the criteria for performing the manoeuvres on the road safely. Trialling involving a significant number of candidates at or around test standard is therefore recommended, to verify that the proposed new manoeuvres are suitable for testing riding standards and can be done safely on the road as part of a single event test.

4. Another approach is that the slow manoeuvres could be examined as part of the pre-test training that most candidates take, at existing off road training sites, rather than at DSA sites. This would take place ahead of the main part of the test, which would still be conducted by DSA, as a single event. Examination of the slow manoeuvres could be undertaken by delegated examiners, or by DSA examiners going to customer sites at training schools. This approach needs further development with the training industry and others, including the procedures for quality assurance of delegated examiners, recording and verifying whether candidates had passed and the costs for trainers, candidates and DSA.

5. Once the suitability of the proposed new manoeuvres has been verified, the next stage will be to deliver a complete new practical test. In particular, to meet the significant concerns about access to the test, it will need to be provided from additional locations. Suitable locations for on-road delivery of the hazard avoidance and emergency stop manoeuvres will need to be found, which meet the criteria for safe delivery of the manoeuvres. They will also need to form part of test routes including a suitable variety of riding conditions, an opportunity for independent riding and possibly a location for testing of the slow manoeuvres (in the event that these are not examined separately by delegated examiners), all within a reasonable distance of a start and end point which has suitable facilities.

6. The priority for moving to on road testing, as far as possible, will be the areas which are currently most poorly served, while existing off road sites could at least initially continue to be used where they are still convenient for candidates. Subject to further work on safety, cost and value for money, there could then be a transitional period while on road testing was introduced in more areas. Over time, more on road sites would be identified so that by the end of the transitional period, it could be possible for all tests to be conducted on road. To ensure consistency of the test for all candidates, any changes to the manoeuvres would be introduced in the same way for all locations at the same time.

7. The costs involved will also need to be taken into account. Factors affecting costs are likely to include the time taken to deliver a new single event test will determine the number of tests per day that can be delivered per examiner; increasing the provision of test locations, by increasing the number of examiners needed to provide a service across a larger number of sites; the cost implications of future options for existing Multi Purpose Test Centre sites and Motorcycle Manoeuvring Areas, most of which are leased; and any potential savings by moving from a two module test to a single event test and from improvements to the booking system to reduce the number of unused test slots.

8. The next step will be to undertake trialling of the proposed new manoeuvres, in the early part of 2011. This will be followed by public consultation on the proposed changes. The secondary legislation governing the test will also need to be amended, examiners and trainers will need to prepare for the new test and the on road sites will need to be identified and prepared. The aim should be to implement the new test, including on road testing in priority areas, by the end of 2011 or early 2012, moving to on road testing for all tests as quickly as possible after that. Changes to the test will need to be monitored and kept under review.