Fellowship to improve rider safety

Honda Australia Rider Training National Manager, Mark Collins has been awarded a 2013 Churchill Fellowship which will enable him to investigate ways to improve motorcycle rider safety in Australia.

Mr Collins is among just 109 Australians to receive this prestigious Fellowship in 2013. He will embark on a project to increase motorcycle rider safety by updating training methods and curricula in Australia through researching best practice systems in Japan, the UK, the Netherlands, Austria and the USA.

Churchill Fellowships are awarded by The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to innovative individuals who have a spirit of determination and a desire to benefit their community. Each recipient undertakes a research project, travels the world and furthers their knowledge in their chosen field, before returning to make a real contribution to Australian society.

Mr Collins was presented with his Fellowship at Government House Melbourne by the Honourable Alex Chernov AC QC Governor of Victoria (pictured on left). Speaking after the event Mr Collins said: "I am incredibly honoured to be the recipient of a Churchill Fellowship. I have been passionate for a long time about improving rider safety in Australia and I know from experience that there are many things we are doing here in Australia that are being done more effectively overseas."

With the objective of bringing back new methods and research findings that can be included into Australian rider training programs, Mr Collins said he hopes to advance the delivery of training courses, improve course outcomes and ultimately rider safety.

Mr Collins went onto say; "I am incredibly fortunate to work for a manufacturer such as Honda who is a world leader in safety initiatives and through HART here in Australia, has been delivering a high level of rider training and licensing for over 20 years."

Honda Australia says it encourages proactive initiatives and applauds Mr Collins on his achievement.