A 21-year-old Specialist assigned to Fort Liberty, North Carolina, died in a PMV-2 mishap 21 September 2023 at Pope Army Airfield, North Carolina, at 1145 local. The Soldier was riding his motorcycle when he lost control and was ejected from his bike, striking a road sign. Fort Liberty emergency medical services personnel responded and transported him to the local medical center, where he was pronounced dead. Speed was reportedly a contributing factor. The Soldier was licensed, had completed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse on 28 February 2023 and was wearing the required personal protective equipment.
Since FY18, the Army has lost an average of 24 Soldiers a year to PMV-2 mishaps. This mishap was the 36th PMV-2 fatality of FY23 and above the number of fatalities for the same time period last year.
Safety tip
A motorcycle is inherently more difficult to operate than a passenger vehicle because it requires more physical skill and strength. The relationship of motorcycle speed and stability is also a critical consideration when riding a motorcycle, as the stability of a motorcycle is relative to speed. As speed increases, the motorcycle becomes more stable, requiring less effort from the operator to maintain its balance, even as it becomes less maneuverable. At lower speeds, the motorcycle becomes less stable, requiring greater effort from the operator to balance it.
NHTSA considers a crash to be speeding-related if the driver was charged with a speeding-related offense or if an investigating police officer indicated that racing, driving too fast for conditions or exceeding the posted speed limit was a contributing factor in the crash. Thirty-three percent of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2021 were speeding, compared to 22 percent for passenger car drivers, 15 percent for light-truck drivers and 7 percent for large-truck drivers.
Tip provided by NHTSA