DON'T GET APRIL FOOLED - Beware of the year's deadliest season for motorcyclists

  • Published
  • By Col. Creig A. Rice
  • Director of Safety, Air Education and Training Command
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  April showers might bring Texas Bluebonnets in May, but April also marks the deadliest month of the year for Air Force motorcycle riders.

In the past decade, the Air Force has lost 169 Airmen to motorcycle mishaps. Twenty-six of those fatalities happened in April -- by far the most of any other month of the year.

Along with bluer skies and warmer weather, springtime brings motorcycles out from their winter "hideouts." With more motorcyclists suddenly hitting the streets, mishaps have historically risen.

Unfortunately, Air Education and Training Command has not been immune to this phenomenon. We have lost 33 Airmen to motorcycle mishaps in the last decade, and 45 percent of those happened in the springtime. In fiscal 2009, an eye-opening 77 percent of the Air Force's springtime private motor vehicle mishap fatalities involved motorcycles.

During spring, people are anxious to pull their motorcycles out of the garage as the weather improves. Many have let their skills atrophy over the winter. Throw in excessive speed -- the leading cause of most motorcycle mishaps no matter the time of year -- and you have a deadly combination.

Then, you also have to factor in people driving four-wheeled vehicles haven't had to contend with motorcyclists near as much during the winter. So a driver's situational awareness isn't as sharp when it comes to the harder-to-spot two-wheeled vehicles that are making their abrupt return to the road.

A combination of all these hazards cost a 26-year-old staff sergeant his life just last spring in Abilene, Texas. On April 14, he was seen weaving in and out of traffic and through traffic lights on his Yamaha R6 at a high rate of speed when a Dodge Ram 2500 pulled out in front of him. Investigators estimated the Airman was traveling at more than 85 mph and skidded some 100 feet before hitting the truck at nearly 50 mph. The driver of the truck hadn't seen the motorcyclist because the sergeant was in a blind spot next to a sport utility vehicle. But investigators said if the sergeant had been traveling the speed limit, he would have easily been able to stop without impacting the truck.

Statistics show that Airmen in their mid-20s who ride sport bikes are the most likely to speed, violate traffic laws and possibly put themselves and others at risk for a fatal mishap.

But while history shows that younger riders will be involved in the most accidents, among the 5,091 record-number of motorcyclists killed nationwide in 2008, half were 40 years or older. No one is exempt. So as we head into the April motorcycle boom, let's slow down and take into account that we may have to knock off a little rust as we hit the streets.

Last year in AETC was the first year we did not experience a single motorcycle fatality. Let's keep this positive trend going and ride safe!