Motorcycling and An Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)

I received the following email today and my reply is detailed below.

You have all showed an interest in or participated in the Wellington region motorcycle training as provided by local councils and Road safe. We would very much appreciate your feedback on the course so that we can better meet the safety needs of our residents.

This course reinforced my earlier advanced rider training participation completed twice in 3years. All such courses assist in building upon safer riding techniques and hazard awareness.
Suggestion: Open road ride eg to Wainuiomata Coast and evaluation feedback from instructor. No open road ride was conducted though the in carpark component was good.

I firmly believe that central and local government can build upon improved motorcycle riding and rider safety. I would like to see a national Motorcycle Safety Mentors Association - MSMA. Motorcycle training has a limited resource particularly in the ratio of instructor to total number of registered motorcycles. Also, motorcycle riding in a general sense could be deemed a recreational activity. To improve motorcycle riding technique and rider safety, initiatives can be taken whereby accredited license endorsed motorcycle riding mentors are recognised in a government supported way eg, through NZTA and MotoNZ (Motorcycle Safety Advisory Council). Though there are initiatives underway to meet the challenges of improving motorcycle safety, there is insufficient infrastructure that enables regular and effective training, particularly in the social recreational environment. With accredited mentors and a positive effort to reach out on a regional and local basis then access to quality feedback and encouragement from mentors will be encouraged and in demand.

While there has been local government initiative to provide professional training at a subsidized rate, this is but only one small catalyst, what needs to happen is for ongoing continuous skills awareness and develoment to come from within the motorcycle riding community too. The creation of a MSMA should be subject to serious evaluation by NZTA, ACC, NZ Police, and MSAC/MotoNZ.

MSMA should be a standalone association with no direct ties to any motorcycle clubs or organization. It needs to be seen to be independent and transparent resource/funding at central and regional and local government level. Incentives can be created for Motorcycle Mentors that are accredited (say every 3years) and for example motorcycle licensing can be partially subsidized at NZTA.