Motorcycle Safety—How to Not Get Hurt

Many people enjoy the excitement of riding motorcycles; however, as David R. Brandt, Motorcycle Safety Program Manager for the Headquarters Air Force Safety Center, Kirtland Air Force Base, NM, pointed out, it does not take much to seriously hurt yourself on two wheels. When Brandt came into the seat three years ago, the Air Force had experienced a year of low motorcycle mishap numbers, but according to Brandt, they have seen the number of mishaps increase pretty dramatically since then. “We tend to have this trend that is riders just blatantly disregarding regulatory guidance,†said Brandt, “so our biggest problem is really the [rider’s] attitude when it comes to riding.â€

Brandt explained that people think it is just about twisting a throttle and knowing how to ride in a straight line. Unfortunately, as more and more vehicles are on the highways, there is a greater risk of inexperienced riders getting hurt if they do not have the skills to avoid accidents or mishaps once they are on the street. “Because the truth is the other drivers just don’t see you in any way, shape, or form. They don’t see you on the road, they don’t see you beside them, behind them, around them. So, if you are also distracted and not paying attention and maybe don’t have the skills to get yourself out of a situation, it’s no surprise that we see the [increased] numbers, that we see the trends when it comes to fatalities,†said Brandt. The difference between an injury and a fatality could be literally one-half of a second or one small plug in the Swiss cheese model when things go wrong that allows someone to just be injured instead of becoming a fatality, according to Brandt.

Brandt said several campaigns have been implemented during the past few years to help with motorcycle rider injuries and fatalities. The Department of the Air Force (DAF) Rider Program (https://www.safety.af.mil/Divisions/Occupational-Safety-Division/Air-Force-Rider/) is a valuable source of information, Brandt advised. The website’s slogan is “Right Training, Right Time, Right Bike,†and Brandt emphasized that there is a lot of helpful information on that website. “So, we’ve really built that program [DAFRider] up to include going out on what we call the Moto-roadshows, where we go around and we present motorcycle and risk management information, and also pass along information for safety professionals in the safety career field regarding mishap reporting†Brandt stated.

“Those roadshows have been a helpful avenue to not only spread that message of skills building and being kind of in control of your own destiny with regards to training and education, but also to advertise the latest and greatest piece of personal protective equipment [PPE] that we started putting out a few years ago, which is the airbag vest and the airbag vest initiative,†said Brandt. He went on to say that they have been visiting air bases and demonstrating the new PPE so individuals can see how they work.

“And essentially, it’s just a vest that you put on either over your jacket or underneath your jacket. And what it does is it provides a layer of protection when your skills fail, and now you’re having to rely on personal protective equipment, which is another big problem and trend that we see of our young riders and our Airmen out there not wearing helmets, not wearing required PPE from the regulation,†said Brandt. These airbag vests have been shown to reduce blunt force trauma injuries by up to 65 percent within certain speed parameters, according to Brandt, who went on to say, “And so the reduction in the blunt force trauma injuries are really what’s going to help us because that’s the number one thing that kills our riders out there. It’s not necessarily the initial impact of any mishap, it’s what they hit after.†It is the blunt force traumas that occur when they hit a tree or guardrail, or a car hits them afterward, according to Brandt.

These airbags surround your torso and protect your vital organs, Brandt stated, and the airbag is designed to also lock your helmet into place so that, if you are wearing your helmet properly and also wearing one of these airbag vests, it helps to protect your neck and keep it properly aligned during a mishap as well.

Another thing that Brandt emphasized is that…

Brandt said that includes training, educating yourself, practicing, and having the latest and greatest PPE.

One of the initiatives Brandt has been pushing and hopes to have completed by early next year is the new Motorcycle Safety Foundation mentorship course. “We recently had a beta course of that mentorship course and really believe that’ll be he next evolution of the DAFRider Program and requirements for Air Force riders.â€

If you are looking for stories or wish to share your story regarding motorcycle safety, Brandt suggested going to the DAFRider website and reading Why I Ride. You can read true stories about motorcycle safety, such as the advice given by a rider to his youngest daughter to ride like you are invisible so you will anticipate other people’s actions, like making lane changes without signaling. Other stories encourage motorcycle safety and include the importance of wearing protective gear, following the rules of the road, advice on riding in extreme temperatures, and constantly honing your skills to become a better rider.

Brandt emphasized the importance of leadership enforcement of current policies to reduce the losses for personal motor vehicles (PMV-2s or motorcycles). “But again, I think our biggest challenge is people just following the rules, and if people cared about their skills and cared about building their own ability to ride, I think we would see a dramatic reduction in those fatalities and injuries,†Brandt emphasized.