It's that time again: Motorcycle Safety Month

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Abigail Klein
  • 931st Air Refueling Group Public Affairs
May is National Motorcycle Safety Month.  It is also the time of year Airmen are required to complete a series of approved motorcycle rider courses taught by the McConnell Safety Office here.

These free classes are required for all Airmen who ride on, or off, the installation. This means Reservists on active duty orders are required to complete these courses.  There are currently three classes available including the Beginner Rider Course, the Experienced Rider Course and the Sports Bike Course.

Though most of the techniques taught during the class may seem "old hat" to McConnell's experienced riders, even experienced riders note the benefit of requiring inexperienced Airmen riders to take the course. 

"This class is beneficial to Airmen because if you're a beginner, you need to learn not only how to watch for other traffic, but also how to brace yourself for different obstacles," said Master Sgt. John Fitzpatrick 931st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron quality assurance superintendent.

Fitzpatrick, one of 39 reservist riders at McConnell, has been a rider for more than 30 years.  Though he became a skilled rider on his own, he says the classes feature a variety of useful riding techniques for cornering and breaking.

In addition to riding, the classes educate riders about the correct combination of motorcycle personal protective equipment.  The Department of Defense requires military motorcycle riders to wear an approved helmet, strong jacket and pants, footwear to cover the ankles and gloves as well as attend motorcycle safety courses in order to ride on base. The mandatory basic and optional advanced courses are provided at no cost to service members and teach the fundamentals of motorcycling that could potential save a life.

A list of these items is detailed in Air Force Instruction 91-207.  In addition to the approved helmet, Airmen riders must wear the following protective items while riding on the installation:

· Long sleeved shirt or jacked
· Long trousers
· Full-fingered groves or mittens
· Foot and ankle protection
· Riding apparel must be high visibility colors

Though the focus of May is on motorcycle safety, it is important to remember that over half of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle, Lt. Col. John Hutter, 931st Air Refueling Group logistics, said.

"Most of the time, the car or truck driver, not the motorcyclist, is at fault," he said.  "There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don't recognize a motorcycle, or they ignore it, usually unintentionally."

To avoid these dangers, Hutter recommends visiting ForCarDrivers.com, a website created by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.  The site includes safety videos, facts, statistics, training modules and other valuable resources to help drivers see motorcyclists.

For more information on motorcycle safety, Airmen should reference Air Force Instruction 91-207, The U.S. Air Force Traffic Safety Program or contact your unit motorcycle safety representative.  Airmen can also contact the McConnell Safety office at (316) 759-3216 or DSN at 743-3216