PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. ‐ As back-to-school shopping, dropping off children at school and the eagerly awaited football season gain inertia, many of our service members and family members are busier than ever.
Unfortunately there is an additional feature of late summer that we should all be aware: a largely predictable increase in fatal off-duty accidents which directly impacts our most precious resource … our service members and their families.
August and September are especially troubling when we consider historical statistics of privately owned vehicle accidents. Last year Army motorcycle fatalities nearly doubled during these months compared with June and July.
Deaths in automobiles also rose between August and September from numbers recorded earlier in the summer, although the increase was not as significant as that for motorcycles. One need only watch the local news to view horrific accidents that have taken place on Monterey County's roads and highways this summer.
And while auto fatalities are down in fiscal 2011, fatal motorcycle accidents were up 37 percent at the end of the third quarter -- with what are traditionally our worst days still ahead.
We have two programs aimed at increasing motorcyclist safety.
The Garrison Safety Office coordinates the Army Traffic Safety Training Program, which offers three levels of motorcycle training for the active-duty service member. Service members must complete the Basic Rider Course before they can operate a motorcycle on or off the installation, on- or off-duty. Advanced courses are offered depending on the military service requirements.
The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center Safety Office coordinates the Motorcycle Mentorship Program, which normally includes a monthly group ride on a pre-determined route. The purpose of the MMP is to establish a voluntary installation-level motorcycle group where less-experienced riders and seasoned riders can create a supportive environment of responsible motorcycle riding. Mentorship rides focus on group riding techniques while re-enforcing critical riding skills learned in the basic, experienced and sport-bike riding courses. Contact your service unit Motorcycle Safety Representative for more information.
For vehicle safety for the rest of us riding on four wheels, remember to buckle up! It's the law and it's the single most important safety measure you can take when driving. Also, concentrate on the road and your vehicle when you are driving. Too many people are allowing personal electronic devices to distract them on the road, imperiling the safety of others as well as their own. This growing national habit can have deadly results. Last but not least, share the road with two- or three-wheelers and pedestrians -- they deserve your best behavior and safe driving as well.
In addition to road safety, each of us must remain diligent in our approach to safety in the work place and in the home. I thank each of you for what you do every day to create a safe work environment and I ask that you remain vigilant as we finish summer and prepare for fall and a new fiscal year.
I leave you with a request: what have you done to change an unsafe habit today?
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