Preliminary Loss Reports (PLRs)

A 22-year-old Specialist assigned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, died in a PMV-2 mishap 20 October 2024 in Tennessee at 0200 local. The Soldier lost control of his motorcycle while negotiating a curve, departed the roadway and crashed. He was wearing the proper personal protective equipment but reportedly riding at a high rate of speed. The completion of the Basic Rider Course or whether the Soldier had a motorcycle endorsement on his license are currently unknown. Alcohol is not suspected to be a factor.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 29 Soldiers a year to PMV-2 mishaps. This mishap was the third PMV-2 fatality of FY25 and below the number of fatalities for this same time last year.

Safety tip

Perhaps no corners strike greater fear in the hearts of motorcyclists than decreasing-radius corners. What's a decreasing-radius corner, you ask? There are essentially three general types of corners we encounter as riders. A constant-radius corner maintains the same arc throughout the entire turn. These are the most predictable corners on the road. Even if you can't see the exit, you can tell from the entrance exactly what speed is safe to navigate the corner all the way to the exit. An increasing-radius corner is one in which the bend gets less sharp the further into it you ride. In this type of corner, you can start rolling on the throttle much earlier because the corner is getting straighter. A decreasing-radius corner, then, would be one in which the corner gets sharper as you progress into it. So, what may have been a safe speed in the initial section of the curve could be too fast as the corner tightens up.

However, the corners themselves aren't really the cause for the concern. It's really the surprise of entering an unfamiliar corner, setting your speed and your line, only to suddenly have the rules change midway. Remember that, despite the surprise, if your bike isn't dragging hard parts, you have the ground clearance to lean the bike over even more — probably more than you think.

Before we discuss the challenge of decreasing-radius corners, we should quickly review an easy one. This will make sure we have the same techniques in mind. In an idealized constant-radius corner, the rider can see from entry to exit. So, the bike's approach would be wide at the entrance with the appropriate speed set before the turn-in point.

A rider should look through the corner, initiate the turn and begin rolling on the throttle. Rolling on the throttle settles the suspension and keeps the bike from falling into the corner as the bike heads toward the apex. After the apex, acceleration can increase as the bike begins to stand up, putting a larger footprint on the pavement and following its line to the outside of its lane at the exit of the corner.

The ideal line through a constant radius curve starts wide at the entrance, tightens to the apex, and then exits wide. Photo courtesy of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation.

If the entire corner could be seen at the entry, the tightening of a radius could be planned for from the beginning — just like with our idealized corner. So, in order to address the fear of the decreasing radius, we should look at the proper way through the corner and then backtrack to see how we can apply this knowledge to corner entry — even when we don't know a decreasing radius lies ahead.

Motorcycle Cornering Clearance – What To Do When It Runs Out
If you're taking the classic line through a corner and the radius tightens — even just a little — it will have the same effect as early apexing a corner: The bike will run wide at the exit. So, when approaching a decreasing-radius corner, the best tactic for a street rider would be to set the entry speed for the tighter portion of the curve, hold a wide line at the entrance of the corner, and dial in more lean angle until the line heads towards the apex of the tightened radius.

If we treat a decreasing-radius corner like a constant-radius one, the line takes us off the road as the curve tightens. Holding a wide line gives us maximum flexibility to modify our line as the corner's radius tightens.

Newer riders will want to set a slower speed at the actual corner entry. For more advanced riders, trail braking through the initial corner to the tighter section can be utilized as long as you're cognizant that traction for braking is reduced by cornering forces. Smooth application of the brakes is paramount, as an abrupt spike in brake pressure — or abruptly chopping the throttle — can cause traction loss and send you tumbling.

While traction for braking in a corner is limited, entering the corner trailing the brakes and having the bike's weight shifted on to the front end actually helps with steering input. The fork's rake angle decreases as it compresses, making the bike respond more quickly to steering input. You have also compressed the tire, giving it a larger contact patch and more traction.

However, the harder you're cornering, the thinner the line is between having enough grip to brake while leaned over and a low-side crash. Once initiating your line in the tighter section of the corner, begin accelerating for the exit as you normally would.

In the example above, we assumed we could see the entire corner and, therefore, could plan accordingly. However, on the street, you will frequently enter corners where you can't see the exit. While you can draw clues for where the corner goes from trees or telephone poles or fence lines, these can be misleading. (Have you ever been following a row of telephone poles for miles only to see them go straight off into a field while the road makes a turn?)

Proper Motorcycle Lane Positioning
So, when riding on an unfamiliar road, you should always hold a minimum of 20 percent of your skillset, traction, and ground clearance in reserve for the unexpected — which could come in the form of a tightening radius, an obstacle, liquid, a bicyclist, or any other of the myriad of things you might encounter in the real world.

The rider's wide initial line gives him the time to detect a decreasing-radius turn and begin tightening his line.

The prudent street rider will set road speed based on the radius of the corner at its entry (while keeping that 20 percent reserve) but will still maintain a wide line. Once the corner's exit is spotted, the final line, which clips the apex, can be selected. A wide line gives the maximum view of the road ahead, increasing the time to react to the unexpected. Even while holding the wide line, you can accelerate through the corner to settle the suspension as you normally would. If a corner begins to tighten up, you have that reserved cornering clearance to dip in to.

If you suspect the changing radius will ask for more ground clearance than you have, you can modify your speed — or prevent it from increasing — by lightly applying the rear brake and maintaining a neutral throttle. If the corner requires that you slow even more, roll off the throttle — do not chop it — and smoothly apply the brakes. When practicing this technique, notice how, when you decelerate while leaned over, your line will naturally tighten, aiding in achieving your desired path through the corner. After you've set your new line, treat the corner's exit just like every other corner.

The rider has chosen his line through the tighter section of the curve and is already looking ahead to the next corner.

One other tactic for solving the decreasing-radius corner dilemma should be mentioned, although it applies more to the track or roads with which you are familiar. When you know a corner has a decreasing radius before you enter it, double apexing a turn essentially turns one corner into two, with each being dealt with separately. However, we'll discuss this technique in a future article.

Motorcycle Downshifting Techniques
Decreasing-radius corners are just another part of the enjoyable challenge of riding motorcycles. If you practice these techniques, you'll have them to draw on in an instant when a blind curve becomes more challenging than it initially looked.

Tips provided by Evans Brasfield at Motorcycle.com.

 

 

A 22-year-old Specialist assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, died in a PMV-2 mishap 9 October 2024 in El Paso, Texas, at 0020 local. The Soldier was riding at a high rate of speed when he failed to navigate a turn, struck a sign and was thrown off his motorcycle. The use of personal protective equipment, training and involvement of alcohol or drugs are currently unknown. The El Paso Police Department is leading the investigation.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 29 Soldiers a year to PMV-2 mishaps. This mishap was the second PMV-2 fatality of FY25 and below the number of fatalities for this same time last year.

Safety tip

Taking Normal Turns on Your Motorcycle

Judge the turn while it’s in the distance. The more information you know about the turn in advance, the safer you’ll be able to navigate this feature on the road. Sharper turns will often have a vanishing point where you cannot see any further in the turn. Note this point and be prepared for anything while approaching it. You’ll also have to gauge the angle of the turn so that when you reach it, you’re ready to match the angle in an easy, fluid turn.

Some turns will get tighter or loosen up at surprising points, especially at the end of the turn. It can be difficult to predict the end of a turn due to the fact that most will be blocked from site by vegetation, the vanishing point, or other features, like traffic. You may have to make minor corrections at the end of your turn to account for this.

Scope out as much of the turn as possible while approaching it. Keep your eyes on the oncoming road, and if possible, peer through foliage and obstacles to give yourself a better idea of what’s on the other side of the turn. However, don’t get too carried away. Straining to see through foliage can distract you from what is right before your eyes.

Use roadside features to help gauge the angle of the turn. By looking at the angle formed by lamp posts, guard rails, safety walls, roadside signs, and so on, you can more accurately predict more of the angle than you can see. If you notice the roadside features beginning to cut a sharper angle toward the inside, the turn will also likely cut in this way.

Reduce your speed as the turn approaches. Release the throttle to slow your speed and gently apply the brake, if necessary. You’ll want to be at the recommended speed for the turn, or as slow as you feel comfortable, before entering the turn. If it arrives more quickly than you expected, you may need to apply both the front and rear brakes simultaneously in order to slow down enough for the turn.

If you are a beginner learning this process, you will need to reduce your speed much more than experienced riders. Practice on low-traffic roads. Be sure you downshift if your speed slows to the point where downshifting is necessary. The right gear for taking your turn will be one that easily allows you to coast through the turn and accelerate out of it.

To gain a better sense of which gear you should use for a particular turn, you should choose a stretch of low-traffic road with turns that you know well. When the road is clear, approach the turn and slow your bike to shift into a lower gear than you typically use. Then repeat this exercise one gear higher than you would normally. While you’re in higher gears it will likely be more difficult to accelerate out of the turn.

Check traffic conditions while approaching the turn. Your motorcycle is much smaller than most other traffic on the road, making it easier to miss than other cars. You’ll want to be sure the space around you, including your blind spot, is free of traffic that could be a hazard to you while turning. Note any cars that are driving erratically or accelerating dangerously; you may want to let these cars pass you or allow some cushion distance between you and potentially dangerous vehicles.

Don’t make the mistake of relying solely on your mirrors. Your side view mirrors will likely be at least partially blocked by your elbows and/or sounders. This means that your mirrors won’t give you the complete surrounding view you’ll need to make your turn safely.

Exercise caution when doing your head check of your blind spot. If you turn your head too far to look over your shoulder at the traffic behind you, you might end up turning your handlebars as well. This can dangerously throw off your balance while approaching the turn.

To initiate and follow through a turn the "counter-steering" technique is recommended. It may not be intuitive, but you gently turn the wheel in the opposite direction of where you want to turn. Turning in the opposite direction causes the motorcycle to lean toward the direction you want to turn, and the geometry of the motorcycle and steering will cause it to follow through in the direction of the lean. Continue to apply light pressure away from the turn as long as you want to be in the turn. To straighten back out you do the opposite: turn the wheel more inwards towards the turn, causing the motorcycle to straighten up and allowing you to drive straight.

You can practice the "counter-steering" technique in a large open area with no traffic and no pedestrians. Get a little bit of speed, preferably 20km/hour or faster. To turn right, gently push the right handlebar away from you (this will orient the wheel towards the left direction). Follow through the turn with continued gentle pressure on the right handlebar away from you. To stop the turn gently pull the right handlebar back in until the bike straightens fully.

Avoid clinging to the handlebars too tightly. It can be uncomfortable for new riders to lean as deeply into a turn as might be necessary. The fear response this causes could leave you hanging onto the handlebars desperately. However, this will make the pushing force more difficult. Your lower body should be sufficient to keep you attached to the bike.

Keep your eyes focused on the oncoming roadway. Your eyes should remain level and be focused on the farthest visible point in the turn. This way, if any unforeseen conditions arise, you have as much warning as possible. However, don't be so focused that you lose awareness of objects in your peripheral vision. In sharp curves especially, where your bike will naturally lean more deeply into the turn, cars may have difficulty seeing your bike. In this case, your peripheral vision can save your life.

Your vision will be limited by the pitch of your bike, the sharpness of the turn, and other roadside features, like trees and tall grass. This means your line of sight will be reduced than normal while in the turn, creating a vital need for you to pay attention to the oncoming road.

Increase the throttle at the halfway point or the last third of the turn. This will help your motorcycle upright itself while emerging from the turn. Allow your weight to become normally distributed again as you pull out of the corner and release downward pressure on your inside handlebar if you have been applying pressure there. Now that you’re through the turn, you may proceed along the road as would normally.

Avoid throwing your weight one way or another while the forces acting on your bike cause it to become upright again. This can throw off the stability of your bike and cause an unnecessary accident.

Realize that maximum speed in the turn isn’t your goal. It can be exhilarating to pull through a turn at top speed and sail through the end of it like a bullet, but this can be very dangerous for riders and other traffic alike. The goal of any turn when you are driving in normal traffic should never be a specific speed, but should instead be a clean, controlled, and safe turn with minimal to no corrections in speed or angle.

As you become more and more experienced riding your motorcycle, you’ll find yourself more comfortable with taking turns. This will naturally result in higher speeds in the turn, but with your improved skills, these turns should be just as safe as those made at slower speeds. Keep your eyes aware of oncoming road conditions and your angle of turn an uninterrupted arc.

Identify when you are going too fast and make corrections. When entering your turn, if you feel an irresistible impulse to brake, close/turn down the throttle, or drive past the corner to avoid it, you are probably going faster than you should be. When you feel safe and comfortable on your bike, you have attained the right speed for the corner. The speed at which you should take a turn will depend on your bike, your stature, road conditions, and other factors, meaning that the “right speed” can vary considerably from person to person.

Maintain a constant throttle. Letting off your throttle is not advised while in the turn, though if you do this, it is a fairly strong indicator that you have taken your turn at too high a speed. Instead, you should apply the rear brake lightly. This will cause your bike to steer into the corner more deeply without straightening.

In an emergency situation where an unforeseen obstacle, like a child or tree branch, is in the road and you need to brake hard, you should pull your clutch and apply your front brake. You will need to continue pushing your bike into the corner to prevent you from losing control. For most people, this will involve pushing with the knee on the outside of your turn and your buttock on the same side.

Stay calm in surprising turns and make adjustments. Some turns will be so sharp, or the natural features so thick and difficult to see around, that you won’t know what is coming next until you’re already in the turn. This may mean that you get a nasty surprise in the form of an obstacle or angle change later in your turn. When this happens, you’ll need to make slight corrections by steering out of the corner (in the opposite direction of the turn), and then adjust again soon after that to return your bike to lean into the turn. For large or irregular turns, you may need to make several of these corrections.

When riding your bike into a corner, always be thinking ahead. In the worst-case scenario, you should know how you’ll respond. In some cases, this might mean steering your bike onto the shoulder or a safe patch alongside the road to miss a pedestrian. Even with turns you know well you should be prepared to make adjustments to your turning just in case something unexpected happens.

In the event your bike cuts too far along the inside or outside of the road, don’t panic. Cutting a corner to near or far can put you in dangerous proximity to oncoming traffic or obstacles, like a guardrail or safety wall. Analyze the angle of your turn and keep your eyes focused well ahead of you on the approaching road. This way, you’ll be ready to make corrections the instant you notice a need for one.

Tips provide by wikiHow and Co-authored by Simon Miyerov driving Instructor for Drive Rite Academy NY.
 

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A 22-year-old Specialist assigned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, died in a PMV-2 mishap 14 October 2024 in Clarksville, Tennessee, at 1200 local. The Soldier was riding his motorcycle when he collided with a tractor-trailer. The use of personal protective equipment, training, speed and the involvement of alcohol or drugs are currently unknown. The Clarksville Police Department is leading the investigation.

Since FY20, the Army has lost an average of 29 Soldiers a year to PMV-2 mishaps. This mishap was the first PMV-2 fatality of FY25 and below the number of fatalities for this same time last year.

Safety tip

Do riders follow too closely?

A 2016 study found that one of the most common motorcycle crashes is riders running into the rear-end of vehicles in front because they follow too closely.

The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute motorcycle crash study for Motorcycle Safety Foundation chose 100 volunteer riders to carry cameras so they could study their behavior.

They recorded more than half a million miles of riding which included 30 crashes and 122 near-misses.

While the study is just the start of their real-world analysis, it did reveal the most common incident (35 crashes or near-misses) was riders crashing or just missing the rear-end of the vehicle in front.

Riders often complain about being tailgated, but there is also a tendency for riders to follow vehicles closely. I confess to doing it myself.

The reason we follow closely is because a rider doesn't have a bonnet/hood blocking their view of the road ahead.

Car drivers can't see about 10 meters of road in front of them, so their visible road gap to the next vehicle is already 10 meters. If they then leave a gap of visible road, that is on top of the 10 meters.

Riders don't have that 10-meter buffer. They see all of the road in front of their front tire, so they tend to creep up closer to the vehicle in front, erroneously believing they are leaving a reasonable gap.

We also tend to want to overtake vehicles in front of us, so we follow closely to overtake quickly.

STOPPING DISTANCES

The problem is that a car with four large rubber contact patches on the bitumen will stop a lot faster than a motorcycle with two narrow tires.

So, if a vehicle stops suddenly, a rider has a lot less stopping distance before hitting the vehicle.

Also, it only takes a moment's inattention and a stopped vehicle that is suddenly turning across the traffic looms up on us.

We need to leave a three-second gap when we follow a vehicle. To gauge the gap, watch the rear of the vehicle in front pass a roadside object, then count to three and your bike should then be alongside that same object.

WEAVING TO AVOID A REAR-ENDER

Another cause of these rear-end incidents is that bikes cannot weave around a wide object, such as a vehicle in front, as quickly as a car can.

Yes, you may be able to steer or countersteer your bike quickly, but after a quick flick of the bars, it tends to stand back up again.

Try it yourself. Steer or countersteer the bike at any speed and see how far you go before the bike wants to stop steering and run straight again.

So, if you are following a vehicle closely and it suddenly stops, you have less chance of avoiding the rear-end of the vehicle. That's especially true if you are riding in the middle of the lane like in the photo below.

You can increase your chances of weaving around the vehicle if you are riding in the left or right wheel track (depending on circumstances and whether it's a left-drive or right-drive country).

In this position, you have less distance to weave and avoid the vehicle in front.

Tips provided by Web Bike World

 

 

A 23-year-old Private First Class assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, died in a PMV-4 mishap 28 September 2024 in Crocket County, Texas, at 1630 local. The Soldier was driving in the wrong lane and collided head-on with another vehicle. The specific circumstances of the mishap, including the use of seat belts, speed or the involvement of alcohol, are currently unknown.

Since FY19, the Army has lost an average of 35 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 36th PMV-4 fatality of FY24 and below the number of fatalities for this period last year.

Safety tip

What you can do to prevent impaired driving

• Don't drive while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs or ride with an impaired driver.
• Don't let your friends drive while impaired.
• Always wear a seat belt on every trip.

What drivers can do

• Plan ahead. If you plan to drink alcohol or use drugs, make plans so that you do not have to drive.
• Get a ride home. If you have been drinking alcohol and/or using drugs, get a ride home with a driver who has not been drinking or using drugs, use a rideshare service or call a taxi.
• Agree on a trusted designated driver ahead of time. If you are with a group, agree on a trusted designated driver in the group who will not drink alcohol or use drugs.
• Be aware of prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines. It's not just alcohol, marijuana, and illicit drugs that can impair your ability to drive. Many types of prescription medicines and some over-the-counter medicines can also affect your ability to drive safely, either on their own or when combined with alcohol. Avoid driving if you are unsure how a medicine may affect you, if it has side effects that can harm your ability to drive, or if your doctor tells you not to drive after using a medicine.

What everyone can do

• Don't let your friends drive while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs.
• Don't ride with an impaired driver.
• If you're hosting a party where alcohol or drugs will be available, remind your guests to plan ahead. Arrange for alternative transportation or agree on a trusted designated driver who will not drink alcohol or use drugs. Offer alcohol-free beverages, and make sure all guests leave with a driver who has not been drinking alcohol and/or using drugs.
• If you or someone you know is having trouble with alcohol or drugs, help is available.
• Always wear a seat belt on every trip—regardless of whether you're the driver, the front seat passenger, or a back seat passenger. Wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of dying or being seriously injured in a crash by about half.

Overview

Alcohol

• In 2020, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers, accounting for 30% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. This was a 14.3% increase compared to the number of crash deaths involving alcohol-impaired drivers in 2019.
• 32 people in the United States are killed every day in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver—this is one death every 45 minutes.
• The annual estimated cost of crash deaths involving alcohol-impaired drivers totaled about $123.3 billionA in 2020. These costs include medical costs and cost estimates for lives lost.

Who is affected

• 62% of people who died in crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers in 2020 were the alcohol-impaired drivers themselves; 38% were passengers of the alcohol-impaired drivers, drivers or passengers of another vehicle, or nonoccupants (such as a pedestrian).1
• 229 children ages 0–14 years were killed in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver in 2020. This was 21% of traffic-related deaths among children ages 0–14 years.

Tips provided by the CDC.

 

 

A 43-year-old Soldier assigned to Fort Liberty, North Carolina, died in an off-duty Sports, Recreation and Physical Training mishap 28 September 2024 at 1718 local. The Soldier was a passenger on a single-engine aircraft that crashed into a wooded area. The investigation is being conducted by local law enforcement and the National Transportation Safety Board. No additional information is currently known.

Since FY19, the Army has lost an average of 11 Soldiers a year to off-duty Sports, Recreation and Physical Training mishaps. This mishap was the ninth fatal off-duty Sports, Recreation and Physical Training of FY24 and the same number of fatalities for the same period last year.