The Thrill of Motorcycle Safety

  • Published
  • By Cason Soat
  • 88 Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  With motorcycle season fast approaching, ensuring that all motorcyclist are well prepared and properly geared becomes a main focus of base safety officials. 

First Lt. Brandon Snyder, UAV operator at the Air Force Research Laboratory and president of the Wright Wriders, is one of hundreds of base riders anxiously awaiting the weather to warm up so he can jump on the back of his 2007 Honda CBR600RR and take it for a spin. 

According to Lieutenant Snyder, the Wright Wriders is an independent organization founded to support and improve the community of bikers on base. The organization aims to make motorcyclists aware of the dangers riders face and to ensure that the sport remains safe and enjoyable for all riders and base personnel. 

"It is essential that we are able to attract every breed of rider to our organization in order to improve skills and awareness," says Lieutenant Snyder. "Working to maintain a safe motorcycle community will ultimately provide a fun and exciting riding atmosphere for everybody." 

Motorcycle safety involves many different variables and topping the list is helmet usage. 

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, helmet usage in the United States rose from 58 percent in 2007, to 63 percent in 2008. 

"This is definitely good news," said Lieutenant Snyder. "This means that riding organizations like ours at Wright-Patt are making an impact and riders are ultimately practicing better safety techniques." 

The percentage increase is good news for the motorcycle community, however, it shows that a large percentage of riders still choose not to utilize a life-saving option. As a matter of fact, the 63 percent figure is still distant from the 71 percent helmet usage recorded in 2000, according to the NHTSA. 

NHTSA reported that out of every 100 motorcycle fatalities, 37 of them could be prevented with the simple use of a helmet. Ohio alone reported 178 motorcycle involved fatalities in 2007, 65 percent of which were non-helmeted riders, or 42 lives that could have been saved with the use of a helmet. 

Motorcyclists have a responsibility to wear the proper attire but danger still exists. According to the NHTSA, most motorcycle involved accidents occur not because of the motorcyclist but from a passenger vehicle's lack of ability to recognize motorcycles on the road. 

Lt. Col. Daniel Ormsby, 88th ABW chief of safety, provides riders several tips to being seen and being safe: 

1) Be visible - Use your headlights, wear high visibility clothing and stay out of other vehicles blind spots.

2) Dress smart - In addition to visible colors, wear your helmet, eye protection, sturdy over the ankle
boots, gloves, long sleeves and long pants.

3) Know your bike and your abilities - Formal training is not only required, it's smart!

4) Be predictable - keep adequate spacing from other vehicles and signal your intentions. Don't ride tired or otherwise impaired.

Wright-Patterson, with the rest of the Air Force, follows motorcycle transportation guidelines laid out in Air Force Instruction 91-207. Read it and Ride it. 

Information obtained from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration motorcycle statistic factsheet.