Spring motorcycle safety campaign includes riding courses, new club

  • Published
  • By Joe B. Wiles
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  The spring campaign for motorcycle safety at Vance AFB kicks off with four riding courses and the organizing of Chapter 83 of the military motorcycle club, the Green Knights.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses for beginners and experienced riders are scheduled for April 14 through 18 in the parking area north of the Community Chapel Activities Center, Bldg. 528.

"The beginners riding course will be held April 14-15 and April 17-18," said George Wagner, with ground safety in the 71st Flying Training Wing Safety Office. "We are holding two courses for experienced riders, one on April 16 and the second on April 17," he said.

The course is required for all military and on-duty government civilians to ride a motorcycle on base. For more information on the course, call 213-6169, or visit Wing Safety in Bldg. 455.

The forming of Chapter 83 of the Green Knights fits nicely with the Air Force push on motorcycle safety. "We want to educate riders at Vance on safety requirements and to clear up some of the confusion on what safety equipment is required and how to use it," said Tech. Sgt. Richard White, vice president of Chapter 83.

A motorcycle rider for the past 12 years, Sergeant White is assigned to the 71st Communications Squadron here.

The Green Knights were initially formed in 2000 at McGuire AFB, N.J. Since then it has expanded, with chapters in Germany, England, Japan and Turkey, and is sanctioned by the Department of Defense. The club is open to all branches of the military. There are even chapters in the Royal Air Force, the Irish Defense Force and the Canadian Forces.

"The Green Knights are open to anybody interested in motorcycle safety," said Sergeant White. "We are planning a poker run for our first official event and hope to have the chance to ride with the local chapter of the Blue Knights, a law enforcement motorcycle club," he said.

A poker run is a rally where riders travel to specific locations, collect a playing card, and at the end of the run, the best poker hand wins a prize. "Our poker run will include a safety director and we don't allow alcohol," said Sergeant White.

Lt. Col. Ted Weibel, Vance's Chief of Safety, is an experienced motorcycle rider. "Bikes and cars don't mix well," he said. "Smart riders, experienced riders, travel in groups and take care of each other, increasing their chances of survival on the road."

That's where Sergeant White wants the Green Knights to come in. "A lot of people want to ride on the weekend but don't want to go alone. When you have a number of motorcycles riding together, the car drivers tend to notice," he said.

The spring push for motorcycle safety affects more than the stereotypical under 25 rider of a high performance sports bike. "Twenty years ago it was the young crowd, those 25 years old and under, who got into 80 percent of motorcycle accidents in the Air Force," said Colonel Weibel. "Today, they still have the highest rate, but just barely more than riders 25 to 35. Riders who are 35 to 45 are catching up in accident rates."

While the overall rates of motorcycle accidents haven't changed much, said Colonel Weibel, the demographics are shifting dramatically to the older riders.

The term motorcycle safety sounds like an oxymoron. But Colonel Weibel believes you can reduce the risk of injury by following some basic rules.

"A smart motorcycle rider knows not to ride in high traffic. He stays to the side and follows the flow. He looks for debris on the road and keeps an eye open for bad drivers," the chief of safety said. "The safe rider learns how to survive and keep the odds in his favor."

For more information on Vance's Green Knights chapter, contact Sergeant White, 213-7266, or the chapter president, Angel Dominguez, 213-7873. For general information on the Green Knights, visit www.greenknightsmc.com.