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MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A motorcycle rider is cruising along the road when all of a sudden his bike hits a patch of gravel that causes him to skid and lose control of his bike. What does the rider do? If the motorcyclist isn't properly trained, he could be headed down a collision course to disaster.
To educate Marines on how to ride their motorcycles safely, Camp Pendleton offers motorcycle riding courses on base that give riders the tools they need to effectively navigate the roads on their motorcycles.
The Motorcycle Safety Office offers different courses depending on a Marine's level of skill— the Basic Riders Course, the Experienced Riders Course and the Military Sport Bike Riders Course. For adrenaline junkies, they also offer classes for All-Terrain Vehicle and dirt bike riders.
The BRC is targeted for new riders, and consists of five hours of classroom instruction and 10 hours of riding time. The ERC is designed for veteran riders, and Marines are required to re-certify every three years, according to Joie Malinski, instructor for the Motorcycle Safety Office. "The goal of these courses is to make sure that these fine young Marines are properly trained on how to handle their motorcycle out in traffic," said Malinski, 54, from Warner Robbins, Ga. "We teach them the latest safety techniques to allow them to be able to mix it up with traffic with a lot more confidence."
The courses also prepare Marines for how to react when the unexpected occurs, like when a vehicle makes a sudden lane change without signaling, or the car in front of the motorcyclist brakes suddenly.
"It's not necessarily the actions that one as a rider takes, but you've got to consider those others who are on the highway as well," said Brig. Gen. Charles L. Hudson, commanding general of 1st Marine Logistics Group, 50, from Zirconia, N.C. "And while one may be riding a motorcycle defensively, that may not be enough."
The courses, along with wearing Personal Protective Equipment, help increase a Marine's survivability on the road. Marines operating a motorcycle are required to wear appropriate PPE, to include long sleeves, long pants, over-the-ankle footwear, full-fingered gloves, a Department of Transportation-approved helmet and proper eye protection, according to Malinski, who has been riding motorcycles for 41 years.
"The more PPE that you wear," Malinski said, "the better off you are in case something ugly happens and you wind up doing a slam-dance with the pavement."
To sign up for a course, or to learn more about motorcycle safety, call the Motorcycle Safety Office at 760-725-2897, or visit their web site at http://www.pendleton.usmc.mil/base/safety/mc.asp.
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 10.09.2009 19:28 |
| Story ID: | 39901 |
| Location: | CAMP PENDLETON, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 438 |
| Downloads: | 134 |
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