The headline states a Soldier died in a motorcycle accident. Read the story and you'll see he survived combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan but made several wrong decisions late one night on a street here in the United States. After drinking with his buddies and refusing a ride home, the Soldier was speeding and lost control of his motorcycle before it hit a utility pole, killing himself and his civilian passenger.

Neither this Soldier nor his friend had to die. No irresponsible driver ran them down that night last summer; their deaths were the direct result of the Soldier's risky behavior and negligence. And, while the newspaper reported this crash as an accident, the Army sees it as something more: risky behavior rooted in indiscipline.

Riding responsibly requires blending the right skills with the proper attitudes and behaviors that respect the hazards inherent to motorcycles. A myth persists within our Army that other drivers cause most motorcycle accidents, but a close look at actual data refutes that assumption. During fiscal 2011, more than 70 percent of all Soldier fatalities occurring on motorcycles were the fault of the rider, and nearly half those accidents didn't involve another vehicle at all. The loss of any Soldier is tragic, but we can't make excuses for negligence to soften the tragedy. Rather, we must face the indiscipline issue head on and work to change the attitudes and behaviors that are causing our Soldiers to kill themselves.

Many aspects of behavior contribute to indiscipline, and most riding accidents involve multiple safety failures. For example, when a rider chooses to speed and ride recklessly or not wear personal protective equipment, he or she significantly reduces their chances of survival in a crash. Understanding why these failures happen is vital to curbing preventable deaths on motorcycles, and several critical factors help explain the difficulties of indiscipline.

Leaders know not all Soldiers approach risk the same way. According to the September 2010 Army Health Promotion, Risk Reduction, and Suicide Prevention Report, operational tempo during the first years of Operation Iraqi Freedom led to the recruiting of high-risk individuals.

Consequently, acts of indiscipline climbed as these recruits entered the force. The report also found these individuals tended to take increasingly greater risks over time. The near doubling of Army motorcycle fatalities between fiscal 2004 and 2005 (jumping from 22 to 40) and 2008's peak of 51 fatalities affirm that conclusion. Although numbers have declined somewhat since then, we closed fiscal 2011 with 45 motorcycle deaths, far too close to the 2008 figure for comfort.

Careful review of the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center's accident database reveals several interesting findings. Chief among these is that, contrary to popular belief, Soldiers who have recently redeployed from combat are no more prone to motorcycle accidents than their non-deployed peers. More accidents are resulting from indiscipline -- speeding, drinking and riding, and a lack of PPE -- than skill deficiencies caused by extended time off the road. In other words, Army motorcycle fatalities are unrelated to deployment or time away from home, and we should approach indiscipline as a systemic problem that transcends duty station or unit assignment.

Compounding the indiscipline problem is the type of motorcycle many Soldiers are choosing for their beginner bike. With incredible acceleration and top speeds nudging 200 mph, sport bikes have become the motorcycle of choice for many young, inexperienced Soldier riders. It used to be that riders started out on smaller bikes and gradually worked their way up the engine "cc" ladder, allowing them to progressively grow their skills and learn what worked to keep them safe. Today's trend is just the opposite: buy the biggest and fastest model you can afford and get trained later.

While some enthusiasts may feel sport bikes have been unfairly targeted, accident data show Soldiers riding these particular models are more than three times as likely to die in a crash as their peers on cruisers. A motorcycle is only as good as its rider, and the power and performance of the bikes most popular in our Army today simply outmatch many of their owners' riding skills.

What can be done?

To address indiscipline and establish lifelong learning among the Army's riding population, recent changes to Army Regulation 385-10, The Army Safety Program, mandate universal training through the Progressive Motorcycle Program.

The PMP consists of four separate courses spaced at specific time intervals: the MSF Basic RiderCourse; Military SportBike RiderCourse or Experienced Riders Course; motorcycle refresher training; and sustainment training. Complementing that, the USACR/Safety Center Driving Directorate is currently working to expand the behavioral training curriculum currently offered as part of the BRC. The goal of these changes is to promote behavior change while motivating riders to continually manage their risk and operate their bikes according to their personal capabilities, as well as appropriate regulations and local laws.

Even with these needed refinements, however, training alone cannot fully solve the Army's current problems with motorcycles. The key to curbing indiscipline lies with Leaders at all levels engaging with their Soldiers on both the joys and hazards of riding, and Soldiers holding each other accountable for their behavior on the road. The real-world manifestation of engaged leadership and a positive riding culture is relatively simple: establishing a unit-level motorcycle mentorship program where experienced bikers guide novice riders as they build their skills and develop a safe riding style.

This is a concept Col. Kevin J. Christensen, commander, 110th Aviation Brigade, Fort Rucker, Ala., has taken to heart. Overseeing the Army's largest brigade -- one filled with eager flight students, many of whom are riders -- has allowed him to observe typical Soldier behaviors and consider the motivations behind them.

"First, I believe indiscipline -- regardless of where or how it's manifested -- is a key risk indicator for commanders to consider," he said. "While some might find it hard to make the connection between a traffic violation in a car or a non-judicial punishment resulting from an act of indiscipline and safe motorcycle riding, I think there's a connection. When Soldiers know what the chain of command expects of them and they still go out and ride recklessly, they're demonstrating a lack of judgment."

Christensen sees his brigade's MMP as a valuable tool for creating a responsible, safe riding environment.

"I think a good mentorship program establishes a self-policing environment," he said. "While the Army has made great strides with programs enhancing the knowledge and skills of our riders, it's left mostly to our mentors to uncover the underlying attitudes that can lead to risky (indisciplined) behavior."

He explained his goal is to modify rider behaviors in ways that will save lives, while encouraging mentors to share with unit leadership their concerns about high-risk Soldiers.

"For many Soldiers, safety briefings and the fear of consequences isn't sufficient to modify behavior," he said. "We have to get Soldiers to make the right decisions, even when the chain of command isn't watching them. In the cases where we can't modify behavior, we at least have to be aware of it and consider it as part of the risk management plan."

For more information on the MMP, visit https://safety.army.mil/mmp/.