Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog

In the 2008 fiscal year, 25 Marines were killed in motorcycle accidents on bases, 22 of them on sports bikes. This is according to the Naval Safety Center which gathers yearly statistics. It was the worst year for the bike-riding Marines so far and the first year in which more deaths occurred in bike crashes than in car crashes.

New Sanctions Allowed

Further, each of the past four years has been the deadliest so far. This is a trend. In response, the Corps has given more authority to non-commissioned officers over their junior enlisted Marines. Officers will now be able to deny requests for leave on the basis of any reckless behavior. There will be tougher penalties for traffic violations and a Marine's on-base driving privilege will be revocable. Riders will be required to wear helmets and reflective vests

More Training

Safety training is be mandatory at both basic and experienced-rider levels and there is a new safety course for sports bike riders. This was offered at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort this past summer. It teaches braking and cornering skills for riders of high-speed motorcycles. It is mandatory for all active-duty Marines if they want to keep their bike's base access sticker. There are three hours of class time plus five hours of ride time.

In motorcycle accident research studies, speed consistently comes up as a factor in fatal crashes. As documented in the November 7 blog in this space, Supersports motorcycles are far more often involved in motorcycle deaths than standards or cruisers.

Yet speed and the accompanying sense of freedom is a big part of the attractiveness of motorcycle riding. Hopefully a more educated type of speeding will reduce the loss of our Marines.

If you have lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident and would like to consult an experienced bike accident attorney, please contact the law firm of Pomerantz Perlberger & Lewis. They serve the Philadelphia area.