Safety course aimed to reduce motorcycle accidents

Published June 10, 2008
By Master Sgt. Sean Houlihan
437th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- The 437th Airlift Wing Safety office began field testing a new motorcycle safety course aimed at providing riders with the skills necessary to survive and enjoy the motorcycling experience at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's Emergency Vehicle Operations Course track, June 4.

Once fielded, the Charleston AFB Motorcycle Operations Course, the tentative title for the course, will evaluate and mentor riders on how they maneuver through corners, accelerate, brake, up-shift and down-shift and build on techniques taught in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Experienced Rider Course and the Sport Bike Riders Course, said Stu Wyatt, 437th Airlift Wing ground safety chief.

"The goal is to match motorcycle riders with mentors to show them techniques to better themselves as motorcyclists and ultimately reduce the number of mishaps here," Mr. Wyatt said. "This course will be an extra level of training conducted in a safe, controlled environment where mentors and trainers will have the ability to correct poor riding technique to prevent them from becoming a danger to themselves or others."

He added that on the course, mentors will be able to provide immediate feedback, instead of having to wait until a break as typical on mentoring street rides. The feedback will help the rider correct the poor technique immediately and allow the rider to attempt the maneuver again in a safe environment.

In fiscal year, 2007 Charleston AFB personnel Airmen were involved in nine reported motorcycle accidents, one of which was a fatality. Overall the Air Force experienced 18 fatalities in fiscal year 2007. So far this fiscal year, the wing has had four motorcycle mishaps, one being a Class-A with permanent total disability.

Mr. Wyatt said the concept for the course began more than a year ago with the Air Mobility Command safety office requesting wings to develop mentoring clubs or courses that would take extra steps to assist in reducing motorcycle accidents and fatalities. Throughout the past year, Mr. Wyatt said the safety office has been developing curriculum, gaining wing and AMC approval, securing a location to hold the training and selecting the mentors for the course.

The training center course is located at the Naval Weapons Station and is used for training advanced automobile driving skills for federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

With the course being set up for advanced driving skills, riders are able to ride through the course at road speeds without the concern for road traffic. The course has 11 corners that challenge all experience levels of riders. If riders are unable to negotiate corners, there are both paved and gravel runoff areas to minimize the risk of injury.

One of the mentors who rode the course for the first time was Staff Sgt. Darius Roberson, 437th Maintenance Operations Squadron. He said the course is a better learning tool than what he thought it would be.

"The lanes are better than the roads we ride and are free from oil and debris that we normally have to worry about," the sergeant said. "The greatest thing about this course is it's affordable since the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center has been so gracious with their facility. Riders just need their motorcycle, gas and personal protection equipment at a course that is better than I have ever seen."

Sergeant Roberson has been riding motorcycles for the past two-and-a-half years and is an instructor for the sports bike course.

Once the safety office completes field testing, the course will offer classes for 20 to 25 riders on a monthly or quarterly basis depending on the availability of the training center track.

Motorcycle safety course