Photo By Terrance Bell | Twenty percent of all motorcycle accidents are single incidents involving only the...... read more read more
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FORT LEE, Va. - The facts are telling – 56 out of every 100,000 registered motorcycles were involved in fatal crashes compared to only nine out of every 100,000 for passenger cars in 2013, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Additionally, motorcyclists are 26 more times likely to die in a crash per mile traveled versus automobile occupants.
Furthermore, 26 Soldiers lost their lives in motorcycle accidents in fiscal 2015. One was a Fort Lee Soldier.
If anything, the numbers convey some very real and basic truths about motorcycle ridership: it is more dangerous than automobile travel. Do the numbers, however, warrant the need for more training?
Ed Newell, a safety and occupational health specialist at the Installation Safety Office, said the Army’s mandatory training program is extensive, surpassing those required of civilians and other institutions. More training, in his mind, is not necessary. However, more attention should be given to behavioral factors such as the disregard for standard safety practices.
“A lot of this is a lack of discipline,” said the former Soldier, referring to many troops who ride. “They are taking unnecessary risks. There are some who have a ‘need for speed.’”
Newell, a former rider himself, said the majority of riders follow the rules of the road and routinely apply the training they’ve accumulated over the years. Nevertheless, he said, there are a few who bend toward testing their capabilities or those of the machine.
“We have a lot of riders who might be considered professionals,” he said, “but those aren’t the ones you have problems with. It’s the ones who are skilled riders, but who – when no one is looking – do what they want to do.”
Performing stunts, riding without the proper gear, riding under the influence of alcohol and speeding – things riders might do when “no one is looking” – all point to behavioral issues, said Newell. Intervention is key to reducing such behavior, he added.
“We have to do a better job of policing our fellow riders,” he said, noting many are aware of those who ride dangerously but are reluctant to raise red flags or “rat Soldiers out.” Military members need to rise above the perceived image and take care of their buddies. “If we’re out there riding and you know I like to speed, there’s nothing wrong with telling me to ‘tone it down,’’’ he said.
In consideration of those who want to test their skills, Newell has a simple answer: “Take it to a track,” he said, noting there are safe, closed circuit riding facilities where one can walk away from mishaps versus “riding down Interstate 95” and endangering lives.
Shane McLaughlin, a Virginia Tech research scientist, cited statistics in which 20 percent of all motorcycle accidents are single incidents involving only the rider, and another 23 percent are caused when riders run into the back of other vehicles. McLaughlin presented his rather curious numbers during a motorcycle training and information session Nov. 12 at the Ordnance School. He said the numbers do point to behavioral factors, noting many riders need a dose of humility when it comes to evaluating their true riding abilities.
“People (riders) sort of see themselves as untouchable, as superheroes – and they ride like that,” said McLaughlin, who works out of Tech’s Motorcycle Research Group in Blacksburg. “(There is some) confusion about what we’re actually capable of compared to other vehicles around us – how big we are or how fast we can brake, that kind of thing.”
McLaughlin also said riding – more so than driving – is a practice that requires more skill and less distraction. State of mind is critical to successful operation.
“Riders need to be in the moment, looking for any threats that might be in front of them,” he said. “If your head’s in another place, you’re not able to do that.”
Trooper James White, Va. State Police, also spoke at the Ord. School training event. With almost nine years in law enforcement, he is familiar with ridership statistics and trends. From where he sits, improper braking is the cause for most motorcycle accidents, and the acquisition of more experience is the remedy.
“The fact of the matter is, in order for people to properly operate a motorcycle, they need to practice it to get better at it,” he said.
Cyclists who ride infrequently – only on the weekends or seasonally – will require more road time to acquire the needed skills, said White. “There’s no way they’re going to be more proficient than someone who rides every day,” he said.
Vision is another critical factor in motorcycle operation. It is more than merely looking ahead but looking beyond the space that has to be covered, said White. He used negotiating a curve as an example.
“You have to look through a curve as opposed to watching the curve as you go around it,” he said. “The more you look into the curve” the more riders put themselves at risk.
White, like McLaughlin, said motorcycle riders require a clear mind when riding. “When you’re on two wheels, the little things you take for granted when driving a car are critical,” he said. “You might apply your brakes too aggressively in a car, and your wheels might lock up and you may slide but that’s it. Eventually the car is going to stop.
“If you lock up your wheels on a motorcycle, it’s going to go down,” he said.
White said it’s imperative for riders to maintain their riding skills because they may decline. “I may not drive a car for two or three months, but if I get in a car, turn it on, buckle up and get it in gear, it is easier to tick my driving skills back up as opposed to doing the same with a motorcycle,” he said.
Newell said the installation riding course is available to those who want to practice riding skills. “Always take the opportunity to enhance your riding skills,” he said. For more information about motorcycle safety, visit https://safety.army.mil/OFF-DUTY/PMV-2.aspx .
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2015 16:18 |
| Story ID: | 182280 |
| Location: | FORT LEE, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 293 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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