Joint Base Andrews 2017
Going seven years strong, the Joint Base Andrews Motorcycle Safety Day (MSD) continues its mission of promoting and supporting motorcycle safety and is yielding life saving success. According to Jamison Kesselring, 11th Wing Safety Office Occupational Safety and Health Technician, a 70% decrease in motorcycle fatalities among base riders has taken place since the first MSD in 2011.
The day consisted of an off-base police escorted ride, skill demonstrations by professional motorcycle race team Will Power with his amazingly talented children, demonstrations by the Prince Georges’ County Police Department and the Fairfax County Police Department showcasing their professional skills from agility to maneuverability. There were also skill challenges for all attendees to participate in, putting the basics of riding to the test such as clutch and throttle control, braking and looking through the turns. Although competitive, it’s always fun and entertaining to watch, especially the slow roll contest where some of the riders effortlessly roll at a snail’s pace or to see one of the experienced Police Motor Unit officers taken down by a skilled sportbike rider who was also in disbelief, but happily took the win.
“The reason we have the MSD is to prevent motorcycle safety briefings from becoming uninteresting,” said Master Sgt. Freddie Mims, one of the MSD event coordinators. “We bring in entertainment so people can have fun while learning. We want attendees to gain motorcycle safety knowledge for riders and non-riders by learning riding techniques and always being aware when on the road” Master Sgt. Mims continued.
In addition to the demonstrations and skills challenge, the MSD included and received support from long time supporter Green Knights MC along with vendors as Bagger Boyz, Harley-Davidson of Washington, the USO, Coleman Powersports, the American Motorcycle Association, EC Sports Screen Printing and Embroidery, Eastern Performance, Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, Andrews Federal Credit Union, Gold Wing Riders Association and more.
Barring any unforeseen personal conflicts, this is one event we support annually and is already on our calendar for years to come.
For more photos check out our complete 2017 Joint Base Andrews Motorcycle Safety Day gallery on Facebook