Harley Davidson has always had a special relation with US Military. Now they have taken it one step ahead with its “Operation Personal Freedon – Ride Free”.
All current and former U.S. Military Personnel can learn to ride for free with Harley Davidson Riding Academy. The training programme will run throughout 2016. Those who apply during the year but then get posted abroad can postpone their training until 2017. Also if Harley’s Riding Academy isn’t available in a particular area, it will reimburse the cost of attending a certified motorcycle safety program.
In the recent years motorcycle crashes and injuries among American military personnel has increased drastically. Many military officials buy bikes on their return from active duty with basic motorcycle training required for licence.
In 2013, an investigation into the previous 13 years by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Centre showed that motorcycle crashes had taken the lives of 1,134 members of the US Armed Forces between 1999 and 2012, more than 25% of the entire road-related death toll for the same group and the largest single factor in military deaths outside combat. It also noted that the numbers were rising dramatically after 2010, and that in 2012 bike-related fatalities accounted for nearly half of all motor vehicle deaths for active members of the US military.
Since 2009, the U.S defence department has made motorcycle training mandatory for all active military personnel intending to ride a bike, though the numbers have continued to rise.
This new Harley Davidson Free Rider Training Programme for US Military personnel seems likely to help.
Even in India two wheeler related accidents are one of biggest factors behind Soldier’s death. Our roads are killing more soldiers every year than external enemies as per our recent study.
Our sincere thanks to Harley Davidson for taking up this cause in the United States. We hope that authorities and manufacturers will follow the path shown by Harley Davidson US and initiate such programs for Indian soldiers as well.
