News

Motorcycle campaign targets awareness, mutual respect

  • Published
  • By Holly L. Birchfield
  • 78th ABW/PA
At Robins, one motorcycle accident, on-or off-base, is one too many.

For that reason, the base is implementing the "See Me, Save Me" motorcycle awareness campaign.

It's an initiative aimed at educating automobile and motorcycle drivers alike about mutual respect and awareness on roadways.

Col. Debra Bean, 78th Air Base Wing vice commander, said Robins and the Middle Georgia community are partnering to make the campaign a way to protect people.

"We do a great job keeping Team Robins safe, on and off the job, but increased motorcycle ridership has accidents increasing at an alarming rate. We've kicked off the 'See Me, Save Me' campaign to make both automobile drivers and motorcyclists aware of each other, and to encourage them to share the road safely. Many drivers simply aren't aware how many new motorcyclists are on the road and may be distracted and not paying close enough attention. Likewise, some motorcyclists may not be accounting for driver unfamiliarity and using good defensive riding skills. The mix of those two things is really dangerous. In addition to the training and awareness activities on base, we're very excited to be partnering with local law enforcement, rider groups and community leaders to make this campaign a success."

Col. Patrick Higby, 78th Mission Support Group commander, said Robins is doing what it can to bring motorcycle safety to the forefront.

"The 'See Me, Save Me' campaign is indeed all about visibility as we're trying to get our motorcyclists seen more than they have been in the past," he said.

Colonel Higby said a string of recent accidents has emphasized the need for the safety campaign.

"We've had six accidents in the last month involving Team Robins members," he said. "Unfortunately, one of those sadly ended in a fatality, three others involved serious injury or hospitalization and two were minor accidents."

"Research shows that 75 percent of all motorcycle accidents involve a four-wheeled vehicle. In two-thirds of those cases, the vehicle caused the accident, most likely because he didn't see the motorcyclist," he said

Lt Col. Andrew Kreis, acting chief of the 78th Air Base Wing Safety Office, said throughout the campaign, Robins will use posters in work areas and commander's call briefings to emphasize the importance of mutual respect between automobile and motorcycle drivers on the road.

As gas prices have risen, so has the number of motorcyclists enrolling in the motorcycle safety courses, which has doubled since summer 2007.

The trend, which is happening on and off base, is increasing the value of the campaign for Robins and surrounding communities, said Jerry Morningstar, 78th Air Base Wing Safety Office Motorcycle Safety Program administrator.

"As part of this campaign, we're working with the chambers of commerce in Warner Robins, Perry and possibly Macon to see about getting them involved in the awareness campaign," he said.

Robins recently conducted a motorcycle safety check to provide automobile and motorcycle drivers information on the campaign.

Donn Johnson, a Motorcycle Safety Foundation rider coach and senior rider coach at Robins, has been working hard to get the campaign's message of motorcycle safety to the community through local radio stations' morning commute broadcasts.

A group of motorcyclists from Robins will come together at the Motorcycle Safety Range at Robins' PAVE PAWS parking lot at 9:30 a.m. Thursday to take part in a ride that will run through Robins and some of the community's thoroughfares to bring visibility to the campaign's importance. Though the ride begins on base some motorcyclists such as members of various Middle Georgia motorcycle clubs are meeting the riders off base to show their support of the campaign

"The whole idea of the campaign itself and the ride that starts on base and goes downtown is to bring to the attention of folks in the community and on base just how many motorcycle riders are on the road in our community," Mr. Morningstar said.

Riders who don't have base access should meet at the Museum of Aviation no later than 9:30 a.m. and join the group for the downtown portion of the community ride. The ride will end with a cookout at the Museum of Aviation.

Mr. Johnson said he hopes the campaign will drive home the lesson that safety is everyone's responsibility.