Think safety when riding a motorcycle

Rachel Young, Northwest Guardian

The sun is shining which draws motorcycles out of garages and onto the roads. For Fort Lewis Soldiers, riding that motorcycle means more than just strapping on a helmet and hitting the road. It means being safety-conscious, too.

There were 40 fatal motorcycle accidents in the Army in fiscal year 2007 and 15 so far in 2008. The number of motorcyclist fatalities in the state of Washington increased from 28 in 1997 to 80 in 2006, however the number of registered motorcycles has also increased substantially in recent years. There were approximately 95,000 motorcycles registered in Washington in 1997. In 2006, there were about 190,000, according to Dick Doane, research manager for the Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

The majority of the fatal motorcycle accidents between 1997 and 2006 in Washington happened on rural county roads and rural state and U.S. highways, with an average of 35 percent of them occurring in the months of July and August. More fatal accidents occurred during the day. About 55 percent happened between the hours of 6 a.m. and 5:59 p.m.

It is a common misconception that motorcycle accidents most often involve other vehicles. In reality, most motorcycle accidents occur on country roads when a motorcyclist loses control of the bike in a curve, according to Bret Tkacs, motorcycle safety instructor for Puget Sound Safety.

“It’s the riders,” Tkacs said. “Most of these accidents, the bike could have made the corner, it’s the rider that doesn’t make it.”

For that reason, the Army requires Soldiers to take a basic motorcycle safety class to be able to ride, Tkacs said.

“A lot of guys think that they have to take the course to ride on post - they don’t realize they have to take the course to ride anywhere,” he said. Not only do riders have to take the course, but Soldiers must also wear certain safety gear like a helmet and long sleeves when riding, on post or off. If a Soldier were to die in a motorcycle accident while not wearing proper safety gear or without taking the safety course, the Army would not have to pay out his or her life insurance, Tkacs said.

“It can be really bad because they are in direct violation of what the Army requires of them,” he said. But, taking the safety course is not just about checking the box to fulfill a requirement. Riding a motorcycle is challenging and the more education riders have, the better.

“Always look for opportunities to continue learning,” he said.

Beyond classes, one way for Soldiers to increase their knowledge is through a Motorcycle Mentor Program, like the one at 191st Infantry Brigade, First Army Division West. Lt. Col. Jim Stitt, unit mobilization officer for 2nd Battalion, 364th Combat Support Regiment, 191st Inf. Bde., runs the brigade’s program. Monthly meetings, safety briefings and planned rides are part of it along with sharing knowledge. He has appointed senior motorcycle mentors in each battalion and tries to make sure than every rider in the program knows who the other riders are, he said.

“So they know who they can come and talk to, and start making sure there is cross-talk among the riders,” he said.

Since the program began three years ago, the number of riders has increased and some have even started riding together on weekends, said Stitt, a 30-year motorcycle rider. The program gives riders in the brigade people to go to to ask any questions, like whether a certain road is dangerous, safety and riding tips. For Stitt, the Soldiers’ willingness to help one another reflects the same willingness seen in the motorcycle community.

“I really think there is hardly anyone out there who rides who isn’t willing to help out another rider,” he said.

Puget Sound Safety offers free basic motorcycle classes on post to Soldiers, family members and civilian personnel and other more advanced courses. For more information, call 531-4585 or visit www.pugetsoundsafety.com.