Accidents kick-start revised motorcycle rules

[unhappycamper]

Cpl. Benjamin Dao, a flight equipment technician with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 161, Marine Aircraft Group 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing drives his motorcycle to the next training area of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar's motorcycle range during the practical application segment of the station's basic riders course Jan. 8.


Accidents kick-start revised motorcycle rules
By Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Mar 22, 2008 6:59:20 EDT

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — The majority of Marines and sailors killed in motorcycle accidents during the past two years did not have documentation showing they’d completed the required rider safety course training.

According to AlSafe message 076/07, 79 percent of those killed in fiscal 2007 and the fiscal year that began in October either had no training or no documented training, which is a Corps requirement.

The statistics, which the Corps began tracking 10 years ago, also show that 19 Marines died in motorcycle crashes last fiscal year, making 2007 the deadliest in several years. And this fiscal year, things aren’t substantially better, with eight Marines dying as a result of motorcycle wrecks since October, according to the Naval Safety Center.

“We had a very bad start,” said Pete Hill, safety engineer for Marine Corps headquarters’ safety division. “We have seen a fairly steady decline since the beginning of the fiscal year.”

But given the size of the force — nearly 200,000 Marines — statistically the Corps is where it was last fiscal year in terms of motorcycle deaths, Hill said. Meanwhile, both the Army and the Navy have seen improvements in their motorcycle death ratios, he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/03/marine_motorcycle_031908/

[MaryCeleste]

1. Sounds like some of the USMC bubbas have been ignoring the rules

Hopefully they won't get stupid on the rest of us.