See Me, Save Me ride set to rumble

  • Published
  • By Mary Lou Gorny
  • Hilltop Times Editor
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  On July 11, the base and surrounding communities are likely to see a large group of motorcylists lined up and hitting the streets around lunch time.

The fourth anual See Me, Save Me ride will stage in the base exchange parking lot at 10:30 a.m., head out the Roy Gate at approximately 11 a.m., ride a circular route through local communities and end up at the Hill Aerospace Museum. Local media representatives are expected and participants are advised to shine up their bikes.

Allan Woods, Hill AFB Motorcycle Safety Program manager, explained that participants will be required to use approximately 1/2 an hour of annual leave to participate and to check with their supervisors for that approval.

The off-base portion of the ride wil last approximately one hour. Combined with 1/2 hour of lunch time a rider should only need to use approximately 30 minutes given optimal road conditions.

The staging site has changed because of road surface issues at the motorcycle safety range. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation advised Woods that because of all the tar patches covering the range resembling tar "snakes" that the surface wasn't safe enough to conduct courses there.

During hot weather the tar patches shift as they soften in the heat and motorcycles are not as likely to navigate the area safely as the result of traction loss. So until the situation is resolved it cannot be used. Please keep all motorcycles off the range until further notice.

Safety and risk management are a high priority for the base. Motorcycle Safety Foundation training is normally offered several times a month. Now local vendors coordinate the required training to military members, at reduced prices for this time of year, because military personnel are required to take a refresher course every five years in order to ride on or off base.

"I would like to reopen our range so we can offer MSF courses to all base riders including civilians, miilitary dependents and every rider with access to the base -- and that helps to make our streets safer here at Hill Air Force Base for everybody," said Woods.

He encourages everyone who will participate in the ride to keep safety paramount as they ride in a Staggered Twos formation through the local communities.

"The purpose is to motivate motorists to take a second look specifically for motorcyclists and to share the road with the smaller traffic including bicyclists and pedestrians," said Woods.

In the past the ride has been very popular. Local law enforcement and Utah Highway Patrol will provide escorts to ensure riders do not have to stop for lights. They will close intersections as the ride progresses.

All off-base riders who would like to join the campaign ride may stage at the Hill Aerospace Museum and follow the group as it leaves the Roy Gate. Woods suggests they be in place for staging no later than 10:45 a.m.

Woods has not lost any personal friends to accidents, but he has lost acquaintances.

Woods encourages every motorcyclist to ride defensively and to make sure that motorists see them, not taking it for granted that just because they are in motorists' line of sight that they are seen.

Also, he encourages any motorcyclist to take refresher courses. According to the State of Utah, older motorcyclists are more often involved in fatal accidents, although it is those aged 20-23 who are most the highest age group involved in any type of accident. Woods said, "We are never too old to become lifelong learners." His goal is to live long enough to become a very old rider.

Woods urges motorists to set aside the electronic devices that so often prove a distraction and that no matter what you are driving or riding that you never drink and drive.

Don't drive beyond your ability, he said. Even though your bike can go well over 100 mph, doesn't mean you need to.

The Hill program received accolades as the strongest program in the Air Force during the last Consolidated Unit Inspection and Woods encourages everyone to ride safe and always use the Wingman concept.