Army leaders must take immediate action in response to an escalatng loss of soldiers' lives to motorcycle accidents. Nine soldiers have lost their lives in motorcycles accidents during the first 2 months of FY 05; 22 lives were lost in FY 04...

Motorcycling has become increasingly popular in the Army with 33,425 motorcycles currently registered on Army installations. One result is that motorcycle accident rates have increased proportionately. As the accident rate goes up, leaders must find ways to improve motorcycle safety within the Army. The Chief of Staff, Army, now requires the Six Point Program developed by the Combat Readiness Safety Center be used by all Army units...

The DoD Components shall model their traffic safety programs after the Highway Safety Program Guidelines. Follow this link for the minimum requirements...

The enclosed video was produced to help inform, and reinforce the use of personal protective equipment and clothing (PPEC) while riding a motorcycle. Active Duty personnal must wear PPEC both on and off duty. Civilian employees must wear it on post and on temporary duty (TDY). Many riders falsely believe they are not required to wear a helmet or other PPEC while riding in a state that does not require it.

RDECOM recently lost one of our civilian employees in a motorcycle accident while on TDY. Employees are our most valuable asset. We need to make sure we assess and control risks, especially when driving. Please ensure widest distribution of the enclosed video, and strongly encourage all riders to wear protective equipment.

ROGER A. NADEAU
Major General, USA
Commanding