Thursday, May 01, 2008

Motorcycle classes endorse safety first

Photos by Marny Malin-Installation Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Bart Physioc sits on his motorcycle wearing the proper gear required for riding on post.

With summer just around the corner and warmer air beginning to move into our area, the roar of motorcycles will soon be heard all over post.

Motorcycle season is upon us, and Army officials emphasize that any Soldier who wants to operate a motorcycle, whether on post or off, must complete a safety course.
According to a recent press release from Command Sgt. Maj. Tod Glidewell of the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center, in Fiscal Year 2007, 38 Soldiers were killed in motorcycle accidents.

Of those 38 Soldiers, 65 percent of them were older than 25 and 60 percent involved a Soldier within the grades of E-5 or higher.

“What concerns me most about these numbers, aside from the horrific loss of life, is these fatalities include our senior noncommissioned officer ranks,” Glidewell said in the release. “In some of the motorcycle crashes involving fatalities, the sequence of events leading up to the incidents indicate these deaths were preventable.”

Officials from the Fort Belvoir Installation Safety Office are offering motorcycle safety course on post to educate riders and help prevent motorcycle accidents. 

The Basic Riders and Experienced Riders courses are both free to all Soldiers, government contractors, military family members, DoD employees and retirees. All classes are at the Naval Mobile Construction Site, Bldg. 1959 and each set of classes is limited to eight people.

The Basic Riders Course is a two-day class.

“The beginner’s course you can take with a learner’s permit,” Patricia Borel, a safety specialist in the Installation Safety Office, said. “A lot of the riders are just learning to ride.”

Instructor Patrick Gallagher said riders must pass a written exam and a riding skills test at the conclusion of the basic course to receive their Motorcycle Foundation certification card.

“The basic course consists of a total of five hours in the classroom and 10 hours, riding time,” Gallagher said. “The first day is two and a half hours in the classroom and five hours of riding.

The Experienced Riders Course is a one-day, seven-hour module. Riders must have a motorcycle license to take the course.

“There are nine different exercises for the experienced course,” Gallagher said. “Each exercise is little more difficult than the ones in the basic course and they are done at a slightly higher speed.”

Both courses allow students to learn from each other and provide an opportunity to discuss different strategies and tactics to keep themselves and others safe on the road.

“The classes are very effective, as long as the Soldiers listen and do what they are supposed to,” Borel said. “I haven’t known of any motorcycle accidents, where people have taken the course here at Fort Belvoir.”

In addition to attending the safety courses, all Soldiers are required to wear proper equipment while operating a motorcycle.

It is mandatory for each Soldier to wear a helmet, eye protection, gloves, shoes and apparel that protects the body and allows him or her to be highly visible.

Each helmet must be a Department of Transportation-approved half, three-quarter or full face helmet.

Borel acknowledged that some states do not require riders to wear a helmet, but, according to Army regulations, if you are an active-duty Soldier, you must wear a helmet anytime you are on a motorcycle.

Eye protection should be goggles, a face shield or safety glasses. Gloves must be full-fingered.

Shoes must be leather boots or other shoes that cover the ankle.

A rider is required to wear clothing that covers the arms and legs, such as a long-sleeved shirt and long trousers.

During the day, all riders must wear a bright upper body garment and, at nighttime, retro-reflective material is required on the upper body.

“The Soldiers I have seen here on post are abiding by the rules,” Borel said. “I have heard some people say they have seen Soldiers without proper equipment, but I have never seen
them. Truthfully, they shouldn’t be allowed through the gate without the proper equipment.”