The Pentagon held its 4th annual Pentagon Motorcycle Safety Event on Friday, which aims to raise awareness for new, old and even non-motorcycle riders. Semper Ride, a project created by the Marines in response to the increasing number of motorcycle accidents and fatalities, also participated in the event.
The morning kicked off with lots of speakers, including Tad Davis, deputy assistant Secretary of the Army for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health (we're pretty sure he also hold the record for the longest job title ever). “We had a situation where we were losing about 20 soldiers a year, [then] in 2006 it doubled," Davis said. "[That’s when] bells and whistles went off.” It is estimated that there are over 100,000 motorcycle enthusiasts in the Army alone.
After Davis spoke, U.S. Army Master Sgt. Dave Newmer, and inpatient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and motorcyclist, took the stage to tell his story of wrecking his bike. “If you take a guy that’s never ridden before and he goes out and buys a 600cc sports bike,” Newmer said, “he can very easily let that [bike] get away from him in a hurry.”
After all the speakers were finished, the exhibitions began. Myles Richmond, a professional motorcyclist, performed all kinds of tricks during a freestyle demonstration (he's pictured above, jumping his bike). All things considered, these types of events seem to be doing their job. The Navy has reported that motorcycle fatalities have dropped by 61 percent in 2009, compared to previous years. The Army has also noticed a significant drop in fatal motrocycle accidents.
