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Contacts

Kent Highway Services
Kent County Council
Invicta House
County Hall
Maidstone
Kent ME14 1XX

Telephone icon08458 247 800

Email icon kent.highwayservices @kent.gov.uk

Cyclist safety

Training lasts for one day and the trainees are assessed throughout, there is no final test. All attendees receive a certificate and the instructor provides comment on areas in need of development.

Cyclist training for young people is a very important way of increasing their safety.

Can anyone go on the training?

Cyclist training is only offered through primary schools. To access the training, please speak to the school's Head of Year 6.

To be eligible, children must:

  • be in Year 6 of primary school
  • be at least 10 years old
  • be able to ride their bike
  • use a bike that is roadworthy

How much does the training cost?

£15.

Do the cyclists need to bring their own bicycles?

Yes. And it is very important that bikes are roadworthy; training takes place on-road, mixing with traffic under controlled conditions.

Bikes considered unroadworthy will not be allowed to be used on the training. Before the training starts, parents are given guidance on how to carry out bike safety checks. We will not carry out any repair or alterations to bikes or equipment.

Is it safe for the trainees to go on the road?

It is necessary for trainees to go on the road - the purpose of the training is to help them be safer when cycling on the road. But we take measures to increase safety during the training:

  • all trainees and instructors wear yellow waistcoats
  • temporary road signs are used where appropriate
  • all training sites are risk assessed by Road Safety staff

What else does the training provide?

A vital part of the training is the workbook. We provide this about a week before the training starts. All trainees are expected to complete the workbook before they attend the day - ideally with the support of parents.

This helps the trainees to begin thinking about important safety issues. If trainees don't provide the completed workbook at the training, they won't reach the minimum standard.

For a cyclist to complete the course, they must:

  • complete the accompanying workbook
  • be able to demonstrate that they can check their bike's brakes and tyres to ensure roadworthiness
  • display balance whilst looking behind and Signalling
  • demonstrate that they can start safely from the kerb
  • demonstrate that they can stop quickly using both brakes
  • be able to correctly explain who has priority at junctions
  • demonstrate confidence and awareness when turning left and right, and when overtaking parked vehicles
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