Motorcyclists and scooter riders are invited to a road safety awareness day in Peterborough.
The SaferPeterborough partnership event takes place at Peterborough Regional College in Eastfield Road, on Wednesday, October 17 at 11.30am.
Scooter riders will be given the chance to have a free assessed ride with a qualified instructor or advanced police motorcyclist and at the end of the ride they will be given advice and guidance.
Students at the college can also take part in a skills test and learn the benefits of wearing proper riding gear.
The event is being hosted in partnership with local motorcycle dealerships, Wheels Motorcycles, Marshall Honda, and Gold Star Motorcycle Training.
Cllr Irene Walsh, cabinet member for community cohesion and safety for Peterborough City Council, said: “In 2011, 80 motorcyclists were injured on Peterborough roads and 35 per cent of those riders were aged 16 to 21. This is a huge amount and something that needs to be addressed.
“The main aim of an event such as this is not to lecture or stop young people from using scooters, but to ensure we have done all we can to best educate them in how to stay safe.”
In addition, riders at the event will be shown how to choose the right crash helmet and will be able to find out more about applying for a full motorcycle license.
Police will also be speaking to riders about the legal consequences of de-restricting 50cc scooters and will be testing scooters on a dyno-metre to see if they have been derestricted.
Clair George, road safety officer for the SaferPeterborough partnership, said: “Motorcyclists and scooter riders are vulnerable on our roads and represent one per cent of all traffic, however they account for 22 per cent of killed and seriously injured casualties on Peterborough roads.
“This is the second time the event has been held. Last year’s event was a great success with lots of young riders taking a keen interest in safe riding and taking part in the skills test and assessed ride outs. I hope to see lots of new faces at this year’s event.”
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