London Bikesafe event, date for your diary in June - Westpig
BikeSafe Motorcycle Show 2009 will be hosted by the Met

One of the UK's largest motorcycle safety shows is to be hosted by the Metropolitan Police in London for the second consecutive year.

Following the success of last year's event, the National BikeSafe Motorcycle Show 2009 will return to the world renowned Metropolitan Police Training School (Peel Centre) at Aerodrome Road, Hendon, on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 June 2009. Entry and parking is free.

Chief Inspector Dave McLaren from the Met Police Traffic Unit said: "This event is a must for motorcycling enthusiasts and promises opportunities for riders to learn about the latest developments and gain some new biking skills. There will also be plenty of fun activities and entertainment for the biking novice - a great day out for all the family."

Bringing together the industry's top professionals and offering a range of activities and entertainment for riders and families alike, the show is the highlight of the BikeSafe London calendar. This is part of the national BikeSafe initiative, a commitment by police forces across the country to promote rider skills and road safety awareness, and reduce biker collisions and casualties.

Officers from the Met's Motorcycle Tasking Team, working in partnership with motorcycle officers from across the UK, will be on hand at the event to provide safety advice and offer free rider skill assessments, scooter tryouts and demo rides. These can be carried out on the rider's own bike or with a bike on loan from an exhibiting manufacturer. Displays by many of the Met's specialist departments including Dog, Horse and Helicopter Support Units will also be on show throughout the weekend.

In addition, the event will showcase stunning displays including the Royal Signals White Helmets Display Team, stunt riders and the Motorcycle Wall of Death, as well as a skid pan demonstrations by the Met Police Driving School and the popular collision reconstruction. These presentations, by the London Fire Brigade and London Ambulance Service, use a real car and dummies to demonstrate how the emergency services work together to extract people trapped in the event of a traffic collision. Leading motorcycle manufacturers and dealers, classic bikes, specialist motorcycling merchandise will be represented at stands and refreshments will also be available throughout the day.

The National BikeSafe show was first hosted by West Mercia Constabulary in 2002 and has grown steadily ever since. Last year saw over 17,000 people attending the show at Hendon and a total of 310 assessed rides carried out by officers from around the UK.

Chief Inspector Dave McLaren continued: "This event is about celebrating the fun and excitement of motorcycling while also supporting riders to ensure they can continue to enjoy biking by improving their road safety awareness and skills with the help of free expert advice.

Unfortunately, statistics prove that motorcycles are the highest risk mode of transport. Although motorcycles, mopeds and scooters make up less than 2% of vehicular traffic in London, they account for 24% of all fatalities and 18% of killed and seriously injured combined. While many of those collisions may be due to external circumstances or individuals, it is always beneficial to raise awareness of the risks to motorcyclists and how they can improve their skills to reduce those risks to themselves."

For more information visit www.bikesafe-london.co.uk