Free course to offer Staffordshire bikers lifesaving skills

Bikers in Staffordshire are being invited to a free course that will teach them vital lifesaving skills should they see a fellow motorcyclist involved in a collision.

Biker Down - a joint initiative between Staffordshire Police, the Central Motorway Police Group (CMPG) and DocBike will use the expertise of specialist police officers and pre-hospital trauma care specialists including doctors and paramedics.

The group, led by Sergeant Rob Gilligan from CMPG, was formed following the tragic death of PC Luke Van De Sande, a Staffordshire Police officer, in an off-duty motorcycle collision in 2019.

The three-hour course offers people the chance to learn practical skills to help avoid being in a collision, as well as essential casualty care and advice on what to do if they find themselves first on the scene of a collision where someone is injured.

This year’s ‘Biker Down’ course will be launched at the DMC Stoke Ducati Dealership in Trent Vale, Stoke-on-Trent, on Sunday (10 April), as part of CMPG’s Two Wheels operation in support of the National Roads Partnership campaigns calendar.

Ducati demonstrator bikes will be available and members of local RoSPA and IAM RoadSmart groups will be on hand to offer advanced riding taster sessions.

The course on Sunday is fully booked but further courses will be taken place at Staffordshire Police HQ in Stafford on Sunday 8 May, Sunday 5 June, Sunday 3 July and Sunday 4 September.

Sergeant Rob Gilligan said: “Actions taken in the first few moments after an accident can be crucial in minimising injuries and can make a real difference to the lives of those involved. But there can be some uncertainty about what to do in these situations.

“The course offers advice from the emergency services on how to protect a casualty and other road users who have stopped to assist. There is advice on basic lifesaving skills such as CPR, airway management and helmet removal. Finally, it looks at ‘the thinking biker’ – how to become a safer rider.”

To register your interest in attending, please contact Rob Gilligan at [email protected]