The time is coming! Days will be longer and warmer soon which means more outdoor activities and motorcycles on the road. Understanding motorcycle safety is essential for all motorcycle riders. Awareness of hazards, personal protective equipment and safety precautions all contribute to mitigating risks. This Motorcycle Preseason, March 21 through May 16, motorcycle riders need to be aware and prepared to ensure 2024 is the safest riding season yet.
Motor vehicle mishaps are the most common threats to road safety. In 2023, there were 22 motorcycle fatalities across the Department of the Air Force. Of those, 16 were in excess of 25 miles over the speed limit, and seven involved an intoxicating substance. This preseason, the Department of the Air Force intends to contact and register 100% of its riders, then schedule and train all riders, followed by a unit sweep to identify any unregistered riders and get them up to code.
The Motorcycle Unit Safety Tracking Tool was designed to provide training data for DAF motorcycle riders. Ten of last year's fatalities were found to have inactive MUSTT accounts or no account at all. This mandatory training and tracking system is vital to serving motorcycle riders and could save lives.
"Untrained riders, regardless of age or years of riding experience, are most susceptible to unsafe practices," said David R. Brandt, Traffic Safety deputy branch chief. "Riding and training are two separate things. Training and practice help to make riding safer."
