Practice safety when hitting the road on two wheels Published June 1, 2011 By Zach Sproul 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Steppenwolf's rock anthem, "Born To Be Wild," is the perfect song to start the summer off. Hitting the open roads is something motorcycle enthusiasts, new and experienced, look forward to as the weather warms up. Before heading out, bikers need to know safety first. Knowing motorcycle safety and traffic laws is a must for any biker. With proper training anyone can become a safe and experienced biker. Vance AFB provides both a Basic Rider Course and an Experienced Rider Course in motorcycle training and safety for all government civilian and active duty military riders. The basic course is a requirement to ride on base. The Wing Safety Office doesn't provide training for CSC employees. There are 12 slots available for each class. For the beginners' class, motorcycles and helmets are furnished. For the experienced class, riders must provide their own bike and safety equipment, to include eye protection, helmet, gloves, long pants, over the ankle shoes or boots and long sleeve shirt or jacket. Beginners must provide their own gloves, long pants, over the ankle shoes or boots and long sleeve shirt or jacket. The beginner's training is two full days from approximately 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The June class is full. The next beginners class will be held July 16 and 17 and currently has openings. Slots currently remain for the June 11and July 16 experienced class. The training for motorcycle safety consists of both classroom and hands-on training, said Craig Wetherington, Ground Safety manager at Vance. "It is broken up between class work, training, class work and more training so the rider gets better acclimated with the bike," he said. For the beginners' class, no previous motorcycle experience is required. To determine how much experience is needed for the advanced class, contact Mr. Wetherington. "It is a very good learning experience. Most of the individuals who have taken the training have positive things to say about it," said Mr. Wetherington. The training is put on by Oklahoma Rider Education Program in Oklahoma City. The Vance chapter of the Green Knights Military Motorcycle Club is an active club with approximately 32 riders. The club president is Angel Dominguez, Community Readiness Consultant with the Airman & Family Readiness Center on base. He offers some very simple, but routine safety reminders. Wear contrasting colors and a reflective safety belt or vest is important. With the inconsistent weather in Oklahoma, make sure you have rain gear with you at all times and make sure it is a bright color. Mr. Dominguez's biggest points of emphasis for safety are overall awareness, being seen and defensive awareness. He said that personal protective equipment is a must for all riders. "Keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down!" he said. The Green Knights will be at the Kick the Silence kickball tournament at 1:30 p.m., June 3, handing out water and motorcycle safety material. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 4,462 motorcyclists were killed and 90,000 injured during 2009. Helmets saved the lives of 1,483 motorcyclists in 2009. An additional 732 lives could have been saved if all motorcyclists had worn helmets. Oklahoma is one of the states that allows the individual rider to choose whether to wear a helmet. Helmets and other safety equipment are required when riding on base. Active duty members are required to wear all safety equipment no matter where they are riding. Over the past decade, motorcycle riders 40 and over have had the largest increase in motorcyclist fatalities -- from 760 in 1998 to 2,687 in 2008. During this same time period, motorcycles with engines 1,000 cc and larger saw the largest increase in fatalities. For more motorcycle safety information, visits the following sites: http://trafficsafetymarketing.gov/motorcycles/ShareTheRoad/index.cfm, http://www.nhtsa.gov/Safety/Motorcycles, http://okrider.com and http://edmondok.com/safety/police/outreach/motorcycle-survival. For more information about motorcycle safety training on base, call Mr. Wetherington, 213-7233. For more information about the Green Knights Motorcycle Club, contact Mr. Dominguez, 213-7873.