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Motorcycles More Deadly Than Combat for Marines
Motorcycles More Deadly Than Combat for Marines
Will Track Days Reduce Military Motorcycle Fatalities?
Source: Will Track Days Reduce Military Motorcycle Fatalities?
Motorcycles have been responsible for more Marine deaths in the past 12 months than combat, and that startling statistic has prompted the military to take action, according to CNN. While 20 Marines have fallen victim to enemy fire in Iraq, 25 have been killed on motorcycles, and all but one of those motorcycle deaths involved sportbikes.
While the Marines have a longstanding policy requiring soldiers to take a motorcycle safety course, they're now focusing on sportbike-specific instruction-- a sound decision, given the dramatic difference in sportbike riding dynamics. Any soldier caught riding without training can be punished, even if he or she is on leave, and considering that nearly 18,000 of the 200,000 Marines own motorcycles, the potential for education and training is vast.
CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr says the Marines once considered banning sportbikes altogether, but the success in sportbike-specific training programs suggests that education is key to avoiding accidents. It's a simple lesson that civilians can take away from the military's experiences: if you're going to ride a sportbike (or any bike, for that matter), take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course to gain a better understanding of how to control your motorcycle and keep the shiny side up.
While the Marines have a longstanding policy requiring soldiers to take a motorcycle safety course, they're now focusing on sportbike-specific instruction-- a sound decision, given the dramatic difference in sportbike riding dynamics. Any soldier caught riding without training can be punished, even if he or she is on leave, and considering that nearly 18,000 of the 200,000 Marines own motorcycles, the potential for education and training is vast.
CNN Pentagon Correspondent Barbara Starr says the Marines once considered banning sportbikes altogether, but the success in sportbike-specific training programs suggests that education is key to avoiding accidents. It's a simple lesson that civilians can take away from the military's experiences: if you're going to ride a sportbike (or any bike, for that matter), take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course to gain a better understanding of how to control your motorcycle and keep the shiny side up.
Will Track Days Reduce Military Motorcycle Fatalities?
Last November, I posted a piece about how motorcycles became more deadly than combat for Marines. Sadly, the problem still remains: according to NPR, top military safety chiefs have cited motorcycles as the "No. 1 safety concern off the battlefield," and last year's 126 bike fatalities in the military was an all-time high.
The NPR story identifies a pilot "Track Day" program as one attempt to encourage safety, and the piece suggests that the military is keeping an eye on accident rates following track days in order to gauge whether or not it backfires and encourages on-road recklessness.
I personally think the track day program is a great idea, and have found that I tend to be more cautious on the road after a day at the track; after all, getting to know your bike's limits in a controlled environment only makes you more paranoid about all the unknowns (primarily cars) that you encounter on the road. Do you think track days will help military motorcyclists ride safer?
The NPR story identifies a pilot "Track Day" program as one attempt to encourage safety, and the piece suggests that the military is keeping an eye on accident rates following track days in order to gauge whether or not it backfires and encourages on-road recklessness.
I personally think the track day program is a great idea, and have found that I tend to be more cautious on the road after a day at the track; after all, getting to know your bike's limits in a controlled environment only makes you more paranoid about all the unknowns (primarily cars) that you encounter on the road. Do you think track days will help military motorcyclists ride safer?
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