Proper Personal Protective Equipment use prevents motorcycle disaster for one Yokota rider Published Aug. 26, 2010 By Capt. Craig Goodyear 374th Airlift Wing Communications Squadron YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Before I sat down to write this safety article, I had a chance to take one last summer ride up into the Japanese Alpine before the start of Labor Day. I had traveled the 160 mile route at least half a dozen times before, and decided on the weekend that I would make my way up into the western foothills, gliding past Lake Sagami and snaking my way along the Chuo expressway toward Matsumoto Castle and the looming mountains of the Minami Alps. As I grabbed my helmet and started gearing up for the ride, I can tell you the last thing on my mind was safety. Before you even think about getting on a motorcycle, you have to run through the basic questions: Am I ready and fit to ride? Is the vehicle in good working order? Do I have the right equipment? Am I prepared for the unexpected? Can I handle possible changes in the weather, road conditions, or even flying debris hitting me at 60 miles an hour as a truck blows past on the freeway? That last one is what actually happened to me. The Island of Japan has over 747,000 miles of paved roads (some of which I might add are excellent for taking long leisurely motorcycle rides), so what are the odds that I would come out of a mountain bypass tunnel at the exact same time a diesel truck downshifts hard coming into the turn, at the precise moment the sun comes out of the clouds, the light flaring off my visor, and at the precise spot where construction crews the day before left some loose gravel and glass on the roadway? I am not sure what the chances of that happening are, and I don't think I envisioned that particular scenario when I was checking my protective equipment before I headed out riding. However, I am glad when the time came I was wearing more than a long-sleeve shirt and an open faced helmet. Flying pieces of glass and rock struck my right shoulder, flank, and part of my visor and helmet as I came out of the tunnel. The transition from dark to light, coupled with the sunlight suddenly flaring off my visor, had momentarily obscured the truck barreling down the hill. By the time I started into my turn, I had finally caught a glimpse of the blue and chrome vehicle just as I felt the debris bouncing off my riding jacket and heard a sharp snapping sound from where the rock or whatever it was, scraped up the side of my helmet. The whole event happened in less than two seconds. Fortunately for me, I never lost control of the motorcycle and managed to roll out of the turn relatively unscathed. That being said, I think, had I not been wearing the right gear, I might have had a far different riding experience. As we approach the end of the Air Force's "101 Critical Days of Summer," there have been 236 motorcycle mishaps already this year, including 12 fatalities. It is important for each of us here at Yokota Air Base to take a moment and think about some of the year-round safety issues (and not just motorcycle safety) faced by military and civilian personnel. Living and working in Japan, we have a wide range of recreational activities to choose from, including climbing Mt Fuji, hiking, skiing, swimming, riding, etc. Being prepared for these experiences and knowing your limits is vital, because even the best of us can have the unexpected thrown our way. I was thinking of ending this article with well-known safety catch-phrase, but I do not prefer sloganeering. Instead, I simply leave you with this thought: The unexpected and highly improbable events do not just happen to "somebody else". On any given day, that somebody could be you! Are you ready?