Photo By Senior Chief Petty Officer RJ Stratchko | 170815-N-NX070-001 NORFOLK (August 15, 2017) Beyond attending the required motorcycle...... read more read more
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By Cathryn Lindsay, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Public Affairs
NORFOLK, Va. -- With the number of fiscal year 2017 motorcycle-related fatalities already surpassing 2016’s fatalities, the Commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic is reminding Sailors to take advantage of the free, mandatory motorcycle safety courses offered throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region.
“Our responsibility to our Sailors is 24-hours a day, seven days a week,” Commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Rear Adm. Jack Scorby said. “Courses like this are not just a safety issue – they’re a readiness and personal responsibility issue. Sailors are reminded that these courses are mandatory and to take advantage of the tools offered by the Navy to remain safe and successful.”
Since October 2016, 18 Sailors and 16 Marines have died in motorcycle-related wrecks, according to a Naval Safety Center report. Last fiscal year, the Department of the Navy lost 12 Sailors and 13 Marines in motorcycle mishaps. While not all of these wrecks may have been prevented, the Navy offers courses to teach service members to ride safely and potentially avoid devastating mishaps.
“Coming to the motorcycle safety courses, sets the rider up for success,” Naval Station Norfolk Director of Safety Mike Lucas said. “What we try and do is let the riders bring their own motorcycles and give them instruction on how to stop, how to turn, how to operate the bike, how to maintain balance over different obstacles, and give them the survival skills they will need out there on the street.”
The Navy offers Sailors, Marines and Department of Defense civilians frequent motorcycle safety courses, designed to help riders develop and maintain the skills needed to safely operate a motorcycle.
The 16-hour Basic Rider Course is mandatory for all active duty Sailors who plan to operate a motorcycle, regardless of if they plan to ride on or off-base. For riders who have yet to purchase a motorcycle, the course has several medium-sized bikes for riders to train on, explained Senior Chief Jerrod Morgan, the Leading Chief Petty Officer of the Naval Station Norfolk's Operations Department. Riders who have registered for the course are allowed to ride on-base while they are getting their certification.
“I’ve seen a lot of riders throughout my career who don’t know what they’re doing and what they’re getting into,” Chief Information System Technician (Submarine) Omar Sotelo said. “The course does a good job in showing new riders what [their] limitations are. This course helps give [riders] the tools and develops their skill set so they have that second thought before they start riding at 120 miles per hour.”
Riders are required to complete Level II training within 60 days of completion of the Basic Rider Course. Level II training courses include the Military Sport Bike Rider Course, the Experienced Rider Course and the Advanced Rider Course, each of which is eight hours. Riders are required to complete a Level II course every three years to maintain their on-base access, according to Morgan.
“I’ve been riding bikes for seven years now, so I’m used to riding the bike and sometimes forget about the skills I never [need to] use, “Sotelo said during a August 2 Advanced Riders Course aboard Naval Station Norfolk. “This course works on those skills ... like emergency breaking and hard cornering. [The course] also refreshes some of the stuff you should be using, like judgment, perception and reaction.”
Beyond attending the required training, active duty riders are required to wear the proper personal protective equipment, whether riding on or off-base, Morgan explained. Riders must wear long pants, long-sleeved shirt or jacket, a Department of Transportation approved helmet, protective eye wear, full-fingered gloves and above-ankle shoes, and preferably, steel-toed boots, according to Morgan.
“I always tell my Sailors who are even thinking about buying a motorcycle that they really need to come and experience it for themselves – not just to jump on a bike, attempt to ride and possibly hurt themselves or others,” Morgan explained. “They need to come [to the BRC], learn from experienced instructors and they’ll discover it’s not as easy as it looks, but over time it becomes a learned skill that can become a very fun part of your life.”
For more information on the motorcycle safety courses, visit www.navymotorcyclerider.com
To learn more about what to expect during a BRC or ARC course, visit https://youtu.be/NavyUobGkMg
| Date Taken: | 08.15.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 08.15.2017 11:07 |
| Story ID: | 244920 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 308 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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