How it affects Staffordshire Biker
As you can imagine, this is a difficult time to hold or host events so we will do our best to keep you informed of what is on or what is off across the county with regards our initiatives & courses.
We are monitoring the situation closely with regards venues for the Bikers’ breakfast events, Young rider barbecues, First Aid for bikers courses etc along with numerous biker awareness events across the county as some of the venues themselves may remain closed, thus rendering them unavailable. As soon as any decision is made we will notify people via social media & this website.
The official advice is to continue to stay home and stay safe, so please protect our communities and our NHS #StayHomeSaveLives
Self Isolating & social distancing – General advice for motorcycling.
Please be aware that as motorcyclists we are fairly well self isolated as motorcycle riding is often a solo pursuit, so if you commute on your bike you shouldn’t be at risk until you get to work, where regular social distancing rules come into play.
Lockdown doesn’t mean you can’t ride your motorcycle at all – you can still use a bike for essential journeys, such as going for food and medicine or visiting someone in your support bubble, but you can’t just head out for a ride out with your mates.
The government guidance has also said you may make a short journey for exercise, however, you should stay within your local area.
Just like the lockdown in spring the government has asked all non-essential retailers to close, which includes bike shops. Motorcycle groups are now campaigning to get motorcycling the same recognition as pedal cycling as many people are using bicycles as an alternative to public transport, likewise some are looking to small motorcycles, which also means that motorcycle dealers & repair centres should be included on the essential retailers list. Some dealers will continue to offer Home Delivery, online “Click and Collect” options so you can still buy your next bike or spare parts during lockdown. Some dealers even have online video feeds to do virtual tours of the store to find a bike or correctly obtain the spare part you need.
Lockdown easing rules introduced for 2021 restrictions
At the beginning of the lockdown, the emergency services advised people not to take any risks, to avoid placing unnecessary strain on the NHS at a time when they were desperately trying to free up hospital beds and equipment to treat patients with COVID-19, with this in mind, continue to stay as safe as possible & don’t take any unnecessary risk.
It should go without saying that if you start exhibiting any flu-like symptoms – such as a dry cough and high temperature – it’s essential that you avoid the temptation to leave the house for exercise and instead self-isolate at home.
The arrival of Covid-19 caused the immediate cancellations of events & concerns about some of the biggest events on the calendar for the remainder of the year. As always, it’s best to check with the organisations who put the events on to see what the situation is regarding shows, rallies, motorcycle sporting events & festivals. Don’t just ride to events expecting the events to still be on.
The Tier System
Once the lockdown ends, the plan may be to move back into the tier system in place before this second lockdown came in. Before the second lockdown, Staffordshire & Stoke on Trent were placed into tier two. This meant some businesses had to close.
Motorcycle training & tests
Following the announcement, the DVSA has also confirmed that all motorcycle tests and training sessions booked are suspended for the duration of the lockdown. Anyone who has a test booked during the lockdown will be contacted by the DVSA to rearrange.
Motorcycle tests & training have already been affected with many local driving schools telling us they suspended training & CBT testing for at least 4 weeks. The DVSA will no doubt contact you should you already have a ministry test (ie not a proficiency test, assessment or CBT from a local training school) booked during this period.
Email the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to request information by emailing customerservices@dvsa.gov.uk You will need to include your full name and the following pieces of information:, your driving licence number, your theory test pass certificate number your driving test booking reference in any communication.
For up to the minute help, visit www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-driving-tests-and-theory-tests
MOT testing
Check also when your MOT is due (you can check by visiting – https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-status) as some test centres may already be closed or closing in the next few days & if it is you are riding without an MOT you can still be breaking the law, in addition if your bike is parked without an MOT on a public highway you are breaking the law if the bike is not MOT’d. You should be allowed some grace of one month to get tested, so if you MOT is due next month you may be able to get your MOT today & effectively get 13 months of MOT cover. Your MOT expiry date will be extended by 6 months if it’s due on or after 30 March 2020 – but you must keep your vehicle safe to drive & get it tested at the earliest opportunity.
Breakdown services & how not to get caught out.
A lot of people have expressed concerns about if they break down on the road, but rest assured all the breakdown companies i’ve seen so far have said they will still provide services to get you home. Make sure your bikes battery is in good working order as many bikes will be coming out of winter hibernation at this time of year, so give your battery a charge if needed & ensure it is still holding a charge as many failures in springtime are often due to charging issues. Double check with your breakdown company directly if you have any concerns or questions.
Petrol station cross contamination
When refuelling the bike (or car for that matter) if you can, pop over to the diesel pump & see if you can find some disposable gloves to wear, a few people have expressed concerns about catching the virus from petrol pumps, so wear gloves & dispose of the disposable gloves safely. If you can pay by contactless on a pre-pay pump then this may be the best method as you may be at risk by using the keypad to enter your PIN & in addition, by not going to the kiosk to pay you are reducing the risk further of coming into contact with others & maintaining social distancing.
If you need to use a numerical keypad because you don’t have a contactless debit card, a top tip is to carry some cotton buds with you in your pocket & use the tips to key in your PIN & then dispose of the cotton bud safely in the nearest available bin. If you have a ball point pen, you can also use this as a pointer to key in a number but remember to sanitise the pen.
Wash your hands at the earliest opportunity.
Financial support with loans
Financially these are worrying times as many are being told to stay home & not go to work, so if your bike is on a HP scheme or you are paying off a loan, it may be best to contact your financial service who loaned you the money as many will already have plans in place for supporting you which they can use to help & many credit agencies are already publishing guidelines that your credit rating shouldn’t be under threat in this situation. Many companies will welcome your call, so don’t be frightened to get in touch to make arrangements & it’s often better to call them & tell them you can’t pay than just ignore them completely. If you find your credit company are being less than helpful, then Citizens advice will guide you as will the money advice service.
General advice & community help
If you have concerns about the virus itself & how to protect yourselves, you can find information by clicking here.
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/Coronavirus/Home.aspx
If you wish to help others in your community
consider
https://www.supportstaffordshire.org.uk/covid-19-support/coronavirus-community-support-effort
https://www.england.nhs.uk/participation/get-involved/volunteering/nhs-volunteer-responders/
Restrictions and the general government travel instruction is to ‘stay at home’ and not make any unnecessary journey by road or public transport unless for food, health reasons or essential work on All travel networks around the United Kingdom.
People should not gather in groups and remain at their primary residence not travelling to holiday or second homes or to ‘day trip’ locations. – Source: Inrix Media.
Post updated: 07/03/2021