Motorcycle safety takes team effort

  • Published
  • By Karen E. Guendel
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Roaring motorcycles are a sure sign of summer freedom and fun. But they are also a sign of the 101 Critical Days of Summer, the Air Force's annual safety campaign. By focusing on motorcycle safety the Air Force hopes to eliminate motorcycle mishaps during the summer months. Preventing these mishaps is a team effort shared by bikers and automobile drivers alike.

Motorcycles are smaller and less visible than other vehicles so automobile drivers should be on the lookout for them. "Always look twice," said Master Sgt. Shelly Barton, 66th Air Base Wing Safety Office, safety superintendant. "If you know it's a nice day out, make sure you're looking for the motorcyclists."

Drivers should also avoid tailgating motorcycles because if the rider falls or "lays the bike down" in biker lingo, he or she could be crushed by the car. Drivers should allow a motorcycle twice the following distance they would normally give a car.

To protect themselves, motorcyclists should be properly trained and equipped. For Hanscom community members this means compliance with Air Force Instruction 91-207. Air Force personnel must pass a Motorcycle Safety Foundation approved class such as the Basic Rider Course. The Wing Safety Office provides vouchers that enable active duty servicemembers and civilians who live or work on Hanscom to take this off-base class at no personal expense. Advanced riders can satisfy the training requirement with the Experienced Rider Course. The ERC is offered monthly on base at no charge to anyone with access to Hanscom and may be used as the refresher training that the AFI recommends at least once every 3 years.

The AFI also requires motorcyclists to wear the following Personal Protective Equipment:
· A helmet that meets Department of Transportation standards, fastened under the chin
· Impact and shatter resistant goggles, wrap around glasses or full-face shield
· A long sleeved shirt or jacket, trousers and full-fingered gloves. Remember, "No skin below the chin."
· Sturdy over the ankle footwear
· A brightly colored upper garment in the day or a reflective upper garment at night. A reflective sash worn across the chest does not meet this requirement.

In addition to following official guidance, bikers should use caution on the road. Elizabeth Torre, Hanscom Green Knights Motorcycle Club president, said, "The key is to ride as if no one else around you is paying attention." This means riders should always make sure they can be seen in the side mirrors of the cars ahead of them and to the right of them. "Drivers on the phone are more likely to look in their side mirrors rather than actually turning their heads to see if someone is in the lane next to them," said Ms. Torre.
In a kickoff video for the 2009 summer safety campaign Maj. Gen. Frederick F. Roggero, Air Force Safety chief, offered some additional tips for bikers. "When you feel the need for speed, track day at a facility designed for racing with the right mentors is the right place to be, not the highway," said General Roggero. "Of course, never mix bottles and throttles of any kind."

For more information about motorcycle safety contact the Safety Office at (781) 377-5135. For more information about the Green Knights Motorcycle Club visit www.greenknights5.com.