FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- In fiscal year 2013, Fort Campbell saw a 50 percent reduction in auto accidents and 40 percent drop in motorcycle accidents both on and off post.
Safety officials credit the drop to greater command oversight, as well as Soldier participation in training programs.
"It's a combination of the command input and management of their troops, plus the training programs that we have going on -- the Army training programs," said Fort Campbell's Army Traffic Safety Training Program Manager Lonnie Scott. "The Army Traffic Safety Training Program, in particular. We have the motorcycle training, and we also have the POV training that we provide for those Soldiers. I think that has a pretty good influence -- especially in the motorcycle side of the house for us."
Recently released figures from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center show accident fatalities decreased 9 percent.
On-post training is conducted at 6074 Screaming Eagle Blvd. by Motorcycle Safety Foundation-certified instructors. Separate courses are designed for beginner or advanced riders, as well as those with sport bikes, with an emphasis on breaking bad habits.
All training must be scheduled through the Soldier's unit training noncommissioned officer.
"… It's a progressive program," Scott said. "You take the basic course, and then the next course is just a little bit more advanced, and they keep sending you back every three years for refresher."
Motorcycle training is mandatory for all Soldiers before riding either on or off post.
An Army Accident Avoidance Course is offered online, a requirement for anyone who operates an Army Motor Vehicle. An eight-hour Driver Improvement/Remedial Driver Training is also offered for Soldiers and Department of Defense employees who are convicted of a traffic violation or are in an at-fault accident while operating a government vehicle.
In Fiscal Year 2013, Fort Campbell's Army Traffic Safety Training Program instructed 1,358 Soldiers in both motorcycle and POV courses. There were eight total fatal automobile or motorcycle accidents from Fort Campbell Soldiers this year, down from 11 in 2012. There were 137 accidental fatalities Army-wide for a 14 percent drop overall.
"… After three consecutive years of sharp increases, motorcycle fatalities were down 15 percent as compared to 2012," said Brig. Gen. Timothy J. Edens, director of Army Safety and commanding general, U.S. Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center, in a recent email. "These figures indicate that enhanced training programs, coupled with leader and peer engagement and a proactive safety culture, are paying tremendous dividends both on and off duty for our Soldiers and our Army."
Scott also credits an increased focus on the Army's Motorcycle Mentorship Program at Fort Campbell for helping to push junior Soldiers in the right direction.
This program links less experienced riders with veteran cyclists, as a way to promote responsible riding practices.
"A lot of the young folks when they buy a motorcycle, they're not even thinking of the training," Scott explained. "They're thinking of the great fun that they're going to have. But the machines are very dangerous. They're only as safe as the operator."
For more information about Fort Campbell's training offerings, contact Scott at (270) 461-0067 or Lonnie.Scott@us.army.mil.
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