thedrifter
10-24-06, 08:47 AM
U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES, PACIFIC, CAMP H. M. SMITH, Hawaii (Oct. 23, 2006) -- When a Marine receives fire on the battlefield, he makes a split-second decision. A Marine on a motorcycle has to make decisions just as fast. If both are unprepared, they will both end up in a flag-covered box.
The Marine in the fight has a very good chance of survival, considering his vast amount of training and being properly equipped. Likewise, the one on the bike will have the same chance if he has taken advantage of the educational tools and equipment available to him.
Commands Corpswide are taking this issue to heart and are implementing the “Ride Right” motorcycle safety campaign, which hopes to ensure all Marines who ride motorcycles have fulfilled all the requirements to ride safely.
“We have had 25 serious motor vehicle mishaps occur since the beginning of fiscal year 2006, 11 have involved motorcycles,” said Lt. Gen. John F. Goodman, Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, in a MARFORPAC general administrative message. “We sustained four motorcycle mishaps last month, two of which were fatal.”
Goodman says that this rate of motorcycle accidents is disturbing, considering the small number of motorcycles being operated compared with four-wheeled vehicles.
The primary contributing factors that cause these wrecks are excessive speed, fatigue, improper use of equipment and failure to use proper personal protective equipment, according to research conducted by the Marine Corps “Ride Right” program.
“We cannot allow this terrible trend to continue,” said Goodman. “In examining these mishaps, the most disheartening fact is that most contributing factors are controllable, and in almost all cases, these mishaps are preventable.”
The essential elements of the MARFORPAC "Ride Right" campaign are easy and can be executed with little effort, said Goodman.
The first step, according to Goodman, is to ensure that Marines and their leaders throughout the Corps are aware of and obey all rules and regulations regarding the operation of motorcycles.
Also, all units must identify the motorcycle riders within their ranks and ensure that each rider is properly licensed, uses sufficient PPE, and possesses current motorcycle registration and insurance.
Commanders should also verify that all riders have up-to-date safety inspections and have completed the mandatory motorcycle safety course.
All personnel riding a motorcycle on base must wear their PPE and a reflective vest. The command’s concern for Marines does not stop at the gate however, and leaders need to ensure their Marines follow the traffic laws and rules governing the use of motorcycles whether on or off base, the same way they would follow an order in combat, said Goodman.
In addition to safety equipment, riders can also change their riding habits to stay safe.
Petty Officer 1st Class Rodney Bracey, a religious programs specialist, MARFORPAC, and an avid motorcycle rider with approximately 10 years of experience, says the most important thing a rider needs to do to stay safe while on the road is to stay visible.
“I always try to stay visible, especially when I ride in the mornings at ‘0-dark-thirty,’” he said.
In order to do this, Bracey has modified his bike to ensure those drivers around him can see him clearly. By setting up his bike with running lights, flashing brake lights and always wearing reflective gear, Bracey said it increases his chances of being seen and significantly reduces the chances of an accident.
Even when a rider takes all the necessary precautions, the fellow motorists sharing the road may not be doing the same thing.
“That’s why you have to drive defensively, because nine times out of ten, the other drivers are not looking for motorcyclists,” said Bracey.
He added that nearly every day he has a close call with a driver who is not paying attention.
“I have run-ins with drivers talking on their cell phones, eating their breakfast or simply smoking a cigarette and not paying attention,” he said. “When you are riding your bike, you have to concentrate 100 percent on riding your bike.”
Not all motorcycle accidents are caused by the negligence of other drivers. Quite a few are caused by the motorcyclists themselves.
Bracey knows how one lapse of judgment can put you into a world of hurt.
“I made the mistake of pulling my motorcycle out of storage the day I came back from deployment. I was overanxious and I wasn’t thinking straight,” he said as he retold the story of his wreck. “I got it out of storage okay, but on the way back, I went a little too fast around the corner and the front end washed out and I did what’s called a high side. A high side is when the bike flips you off the top of it.”
While Bracey says he was lucky to walk away with only a few bumps and a bruised ego, he has taken the wreck as a learning experience.
“It pretty much totaled the bike, but I had all my safety equipment, gloves, leather jacket, a helmet and over-the-ankle boots, and that’s what saved me from serious injury,” he added.
A Marine should not shed his safety gear as soon as he gets out of the MP’s jurisdiction, because “the most important thing to improve your chance of survival is to wear a helmet” whether you’re on or off base, said Sgt. Gregory S. Ashton, commanding general’s communications team noncommissioned officer, MARFORPAC.
Ashton, who has been riding dirt bikes since he was a kid, suggests taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation classes that are offered at Leeward Community College.
While the course at Leeward Community College will teach a rider the ins and outs of riding, a rider will still have to attend one of the motorcycle safety courses offered at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay to be able to ride on base.
The motorcycle improvement courses at Marine Corps Base, Hawaii are held twice a month during the first and last week.
There are three different courses offered. The experienced riders’, and group riders’ courses, which are both one day courses, and the basic riders’ course, which is a two day course. To sign up for the courses call 257-1830.
“Most people who go to get their license just read the motorcycle safety book,” he said. “I learned way more during those safety courses than I ever would have by just reading the book.”
The motorcycle safety courses are very thorough and are adjusted to suit the rider’s skill level. They can teach skilled riders how to take their abilities to the next level, or they can show a person who has never sat on a bike how to balance.
“You don’t even turn the bike on the first day,” said Ashton. “You sit on the bike while somebody pushes you to help you learn balance.”
The rules off base can be more lenient than those on base. Some states do not have helmet laws, and reflective vests are an option in most areas.
Whether wearing the proper safety equipment or learning how to properly handle the vehicle, all these things can improve a rider’s chances to arrive home safely, but the Marines have to put them into action in order for them to be effective.
The Marine Corps is hoping to improve awareness and education so that personnel will not have to learn their lessons the hard way.
“We cannot continue losing Marines and sailors to preventable mishaps,” said Goodman. “I ask that commanders and leaders at all levels get personally involved and do what it takes to put a stop to this deadly trend.”
Ellie
The Marine in the fight has a very good chance of survival, considering his vast amount of training and being properly equipped. Likewise, the one on the bike will have the same chance if he has taken advantage of the educational tools and equipment available to him.
Commands Corpswide are taking this issue to heart and are implementing the “Ride Right” motorcycle safety campaign, which hopes to ensure all Marines who ride motorcycles have fulfilled all the requirements to ride safely.
“We have had 25 serious motor vehicle mishaps occur since the beginning of fiscal year 2006, 11 have involved motorcycles,” said Lt. Gen. John F. Goodman, Commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, in a MARFORPAC general administrative message. “We sustained four motorcycle mishaps last month, two of which were fatal.”
Goodman says that this rate of motorcycle accidents is disturbing, considering the small number of motorcycles being operated compared with four-wheeled vehicles.
The primary contributing factors that cause these wrecks are excessive speed, fatigue, improper use of equipment and failure to use proper personal protective equipment, according to research conducted by the Marine Corps “Ride Right” program.
“We cannot allow this terrible trend to continue,” said Goodman. “In examining these mishaps, the most disheartening fact is that most contributing factors are controllable, and in almost all cases, these mishaps are preventable.”
The essential elements of the MARFORPAC "Ride Right" campaign are easy and can be executed with little effort, said Goodman.
The first step, according to Goodman, is to ensure that Marines and their leaders throughout the Corps are aware of and obey all rules and regulations regarding the operation of motorcycles.
Also, all units must identify the motorcycle riders within their ranks and ensure that each rider is properly licensed, uses sufficient PPE, and possesses current motorcycle registration and insurance.
Commanders should also verify that all riders have up-to-date safety inspections and have completed the mandatory motorcycle safety course.
All personnel riding a motorcycle on base must wear their PPE and a reflective vest. The command’s concern for Marines does not stop at the gate however, and leaders need to ensure their Marines follow the traffic laws and rules governing the use of motorcycles whether on or off base, the same way they would follow an order in combat, said Goodman.
In addition to safety equipment, riders can also change their riding habits to stay safe.
Petty Officer 1st Class Rodney Bracey, a religious programs specialist, MARFORPAC, and an avid motorcycle rider with approximately 10 years of experience, says the most important thing a rider needs to do to stay safe while on the road is to stay visible.
“I always try to stay visible, especially when I ride in the mornings at ‘0-dark-thirty,’” he said.
In order to do this, Bracey has modified his bike to ensure those drivers around him can see him clearly. By setting up his bike with running lights, flashing brake lights and always wearing reflective gear, Bracey said it increases his chances of being seen and significantly reduces the chances of an accident.
Even when a rider takes all the necessary precautions, the fellow motorists sharing the road may not be doing the same thing.
“That’s why you have to drive defensively, because nine times out of ten, the other drivers are not looking for motorcyclists,” said Bracey.
He added that nearly every day he has a close call with a driver who is not paying attention.
“I have run-ins with drivers talking on their cell phones, eating their breakfast or simply smoking a cigarette and not paying attention,” he said. “When you are riding your bike, you have to concentrate 100 percent on riding your bike.”
Not all motorcycle accidents are caused by the negligence of other drivers. Quite a few are caused by the motorcyclists themselves.
Bracey knows how one lapse of judgment can put you into a world of hurt.
“I made the mistake of pulling my motorcycle out of storage the day I came back from deployment. I was overanxious and I wasn’t thinking straight,” he said as he retold the story of his wreck. “I got it out of storage okay, but on the way back, I went a little too fast around the corner and the front end washed out and I did what’s called a high side. A high side is when the bike flips you off the top of it.”
While Bracey says he was lucky to walk away with only a few bumps and a bruised ego, he has taken the wreck as a learning experience.
“It pretty much totaled the bike, but I had all my safety equipment, gloves, leather jacket, a helmet and over-the-ankle boots, and that’s what saved me from serious injury,” he added.
A Marine should not shed his safety gear as soon as he gets out of the MP’s jurisdiction, because “the most important thing to improve your chance of survival is to wear a helmet” whether you’re on or off base, said Sgt. Gregory S. Ashton, commanding general’s communications team noncommissioned officer, MARFORPAC.
Ashton, who has been riding dirt bikes since he was a kid, suggests taking the Motorcycle Safety Foundation classes that are offered at Leeward Community College.
While the course at Leeward Community College will teach a rider the ins and outs of riding, a rider will still have to attend one of the motorcycle safety courses offered at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay to be able to ride on base.
The motorcycle improvement courses at Marine Corps Base, Hawaii are held twice a month during the first and last week.
There are three different courses offered. The experienced riders’, and group riders’ courses, which are both one day courses, and the basic riders’ course, which is a two day course. To sign up for the courses call 257-1830.
“Most people who go to get their license just read the motorcycle safety book,” he said. “I learned way more during those safety courses than I ever would have by just reading the book.”
The motorcycle safety courses are very thorough and are adjusted to suit the rider’s skill level. They can teach skilled riders how to take their abilities to the next level, or they can show a person who has never sat on a bike how to balance.
“You don’t even turn the bike on the first day,” said Ashton. “You sit on the bike while somebody pushes you to help you learn balance.”
The rules off base can be more lenient than those on base. Some states do not have helmet laws, and reflective vests are an option in most areas.
Whether wearing the proper safety equipment or learning how to properly handle the vehicle, all these things can improve a rider’s chances to arrive home safely, but the Marines have to put them into action in order for them to be effective.
The Marine Corps is hoping to improve awareness and education so that personnel will not have to learn their lessons the hard way.
“We cannot continue losing Marines and sailors to preventable mishaps,” said Goodman. “I ask that commanders and leaders at all levels get personally involved and do what it takes to put a stop to this deadly trend.”
Ellie