KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. – The U.S. Air Force is urging its motorcycle riders to take steps to reduce the risk of accidents.
The Air Force has more than 24,000 motorcycle riders, or about 6% of its members, but 31% of all off-duty fatalities are related to motorcycle accidents, according to an Air Force news release.
“We are saddened by the loss of any airman or space professional to a preventable mishap,” said Air Force Occupational Safety chief Michael Ballard. “The Air Force is determined to arm every rider with the knowledge and awareness they need to make sound risk decision-making before putting wheels to the pavement.”
The Air Force has lost 123 lives to motorcycle accidents over the past 10 fiscal years, with 13 fatalities in FY 2020 alone, according to the news release. Those numbers marked a significant increase from the previous historical low in FY 2019 and was slightly higher than the 10-year average of 12 per year.
Since 2013, the Air Force has required riders to complete a motorcycle safety course and a refresher course every five years. Riders also receive annual safety briefings at the start of the riding season.
All training is recorded in the online Motorcycle Unit Safety Tracking Tool, housed in the Air Force Safety Automated System database. That information is key to helping airmen reduce the risk of riding a motorcycle.
“Riding a motorcycle is a perishable skill,” said Michael Eckert, Traffic Safety and Outreach Branch chief at the Air Force Safety Center. “This is why we focus on providing the right training, at the right time, on the right bike.”