The British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) joined riders and road safety organisations for the Ride 2 Buxton Motorcycle Safety Event at Buxton Fire Station last Friday (14th August) evening.

The event, hosted by Steve Green from Derbyshire Fire & Rescue Service and Mary Lomas from Fletchers Solicitors, was organised as a motorcycle safety initiative, bringing together riders and organisations to share information, experience and practical advice.

Taking place within the fire station car park, the evening gave riders the opportunity to visit the different stands, talk directly to those involved and find out more about the work being carried out across motorcycle and road safety.

There was also a welcome incentive for riders making the journey, with the first 100 attendees receiving a free burger.

Safety through experience

Among the stands at the event was a virtual reality experience, giving attendees the opportunity to experience a range of road situations in a different way.

It certainly generated some interesting conversations among those who took part and provided another way of encouraging people to think about awareness, observation and the situations they may encounter on the road.

As riders moved around the car park, stopping at the various stands to ask questions and collect information, the evening provided plenty of opportunity for conversations around staying safer on two wheels.

Getting to know Hello Dave Racing

The BMF also had the opportunity to spend some time with Hello Dave Racing and find out more about the team and their racing activities.

Hello Dave were at the event with their BMW F 900 R and are sponsored by Fletchers Solicitors. It was a good opportunity to learn more about the team, their racing involvement and what goes on behind the scenes.

Their presence, alongside the other organisations attending, added to the variety of information available to riders throughout the evening.

A busy evening for Derbyshire Fire & Rescue

While the motorcycle safety event was taking place in the car park, the fire station remained fully operational. This became particularly apparent during the evening when Derbyshire Fire & Rescue crews were called away to an incident.

They had only been back for around 20 minutes before being called out again.

It was a timely reminder that, while the event was taking place, the crews supporting it were still carrying out their normal duties and remained ready to respond whenever they were needed.

This was particularly significant given the recent wildfires and the increased pressure being placed on fire and rescue services across the country.

Despite being called away twice, the crews continued to support the event and engage with those attending whenever they were able to.

For those attending, it was a real insight into the demands placed on our emergency services and the commitment of the people carrying out that work.

And then came the emergency alert

There was another unexpected moment during the evening when the government’s emergency alert was sent to mobile phones across the country. With everyone gathered at a fire station and the crews already having been called away twice, the sudden sound of multiple phones receiving the alert naturally caused a few people to wonder whether another call-out was about to happen. Thankfully, it wasn’t.
There was certainly some humour in the timing, but the alert also brought home the seriousness of the situation facing communities across the country. And, given where we were, it was probably fair to say that we were in one of the safest places possible when that warning arrived.

Bringing the motorcycle community together

What stood out about Ride 2 Buxton was its simple approach: bring riders and organisations together in one place and give people the opportunity to talk.

With a selection of stands around the car park including Fletchers Solicitors, IAM Derbyshire, Mental Health Motorbike and others, riders could stop and speak directly to those involved, ask questions and take away information relevant to their own riding.

For the BMF, being part of these conversations is an important part of our work within the motorcycle community. Understanding the different perspectives around road safety and hearing directly from riders helps keep the focus on the issues that matter to motorcyclists.

Thank you to the teams behind Ride 2 Buxton

The BMF would like to thank Steve Green, Mary Lomas and everyone involved in organising the event, as well as the riders and organisations who came along and supported the evening.

A particular thank you goes to the Derbyshire Fire & Rescue crews who continued to support the event despite being called away twice during the evening.

With fire and rescue services working exceptionally hard to deal with the recent wildfires and other incidents, their willingness to still host and engage with the motorcycle community should not go unnoticed.

Ride 2 Buxton was a valuable evening of conversations, information and shared experience, with motorcycle safety at its heart.

For the BMF, it was another opportunity to listen, learn and work alongside others who share the aim of making our roads safer for everyone.

Written by MJ

All images authors own.