Under the watchful eyes of four instructors and the media, 12 riders took part in an Expressway Familiarisation Ride (EFR) yesterday. The 100-minute course, which is free, was made compulsory since last month. It was first introduced as a voluntary course for new riders in 2010.
One of the riders, Corporate Affairs Manager Patricia Tan, 39, said the journey was a confidence booster and that it was good to be out in a group, since she hasn't been on an expressway before.
The EFR equips Class 2B learners with riding tips that include lane changing procedures and entering and exiting expressways safely. It also covers safety issues such as keeping a safe following distance, lane discipline and procedures for pulling over to road shoulders. A briefing is followed by a guided ride on the expressways.
In 2011, only 37.7 percent of those who attained their Class 2B licences opted to take the course. The number fell last year to only 32.9 percent.
The Traffic Police said the decision to make the EFR compulsory for all Class 2B learner-riders came after strong positive feedback from participants during a review of the course in 2011.
Last year, a quarter of motorcycle accidents happened on expressways. But the figure of 1,002 was an improvement over 2010, during which there were 1,201 such accidents.
Taxi driver Lee Chek Seng, 57, said making the motorcycle course compulsory would help to make expressways safer for all motorists.
