SAFETY. Not an exciting word, is it? Not very “Rossi”, writes Mark Farnham.

When you’ve just watched Valentino and Casey Stoner bashing fairings on track, it’s easy to hit the road with racer fantasies.

But no matter how much we kid ourselves, the A272 isn’t Laguna Seca; the A32 isn’t Monza.

Rossi and Co. don’t have to worry about lorries coming the other way, nobody’s going to pull out on them while chatting on a mobile, and they usually have plenty of run-off if they overcook a corner.

As road riders we don’t have those luxuries. It’s a minefield out there, and the biker casualty figures pay testament to the fact.

In 2008, 24 bikers died on Hampshire’s roads. Thankfully, those figures appear to be falling – just nine last year – and in an effort to keep us shiny side up, Hampshire Constabulary run Bikesafe courses throughout the riding season.

Touching on the police Roadcraft system, these one-day workshops are designed to show you can still have fun while drastically reducing your odds of becoming another statistic. Chances are they’ll make you smoother and faster, too.

Starting in a classroom at Eastleigh Fire Station, Bike-safe co-ordinator PC Mick Gear took me and my 12 fellow pupils through some of the main accident risk scenarios – filtering, junctions, cornering, overtaking and group riding – why they so often go wrong, and what we can do to maximise the chances of them going right.

Observation and planning appear to be the key issues.

Take in as much information as you can, plan for potential hazards, and the odds of you being caught by a surprise tumble.

A right-hand bend ahead? If it’s safe, move to the left of your lane to get a better view. A left-hander? Move to the right. Approaching a junction or the brow of a hill? Definitely not the place for an overtake. And all the while remaining flexible to changing traffic and road conditions.

After some invaluable first aid advice from BASICS doctor Bruce Armstrong we went out to put our riding theory into practice. With one police observer for two pupils, we set off across 80-odd miles of Hampshire roads: town, motorway, and country twisties.

It can be disconcerting to see a police bike stuck in your mirror, but observer Martin Cripps soon put us at ease, first following to watch our riding styles before leading us into the Meon Valley to show how it should be done.

Thought you were smooth and fast? Forget it, these police riders are something else, taking country roads at what seem like a fair old lick, constantly varying lines for the best vision and always anticipating what lies ahead. I was stunned when Martin told us he hadn’t broken the speed limit.

Mark, my fellow pupil, and I then took it in turns to lead, trying to emulate what Martin had taught us, and stopping for regular debriefs to hear what we were doing right and how we can improve. It’s not a lecture, just well-meaning advice from someone who, let’s face it, is probably a much better and vastly more experienced biker than you. They’re on our side.

Keep your head up, keep planning and it’s amazing how much the road opens up in front of you.

It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable ride-outs I’ve had for a while.

• Hampshire Bikesafe workshops cost £75 and run on June 20, July 11, August 15, September 5 and October 24. Go online at hants.gov.uk/road safety or email hampshirepolice@bikesafe.co.uk.