| It was reported at the end of last month that | | | | pocket. |
| motorcycle accidents stateside have killed more | | | | What these young soldiers are missing is motorcycle |
| Marines than has combat in Iraq in the last 12 months. | | | | training. Most of them have no idea how to control a |
| Twenty-five Marines have been killed on motorcycles | | | | bike like this, and wind up losing control. They also |
| since November 2007 while 20 have been killed in | | | | may not realize that because they are so small and |
| combat operations in Iraq. The Navy has seen a 65 | | | | can go so fast, other vehicles may not see them |
| percent jump in motorcycle accident deaths to 33 | | | | until it is too late. |
| this year. Though the officers in the Marines, as well | | | | It is estimated that there are nearly 18,000 Marines |
| as the Navy, see this as the number one | | | | out of 200,000 who own and ride motorcycles. For |
| noncombat-related problem, and are searching for | | | | many years the Marine Corps have had a basic |
| solutions, questions of “why” continue. | | | | mandatory riding course. But this is aimed at the basic |
| Most of the deaths occur on sports bikes, such as | | | | motorcycle, too. The solution was to add a second |
| the Kawasaki Ninja. These sports bikes are sleek and | | | | class aimed at the sports bikes favored by the |
| can reach speeds as high as 120 mph. There is a | | | | troops. They are also looking at further ways to |
| certain rush that comes when going down the road | | | | reduce accidents and deaths. One thing that is being |
| at high rates of speed. On a darker note, many war | | | | considered is punishment. If a Marine is caught riding |
| veterans talk about the rush they received while in | | | | on or off base and has not gone through the training, |
| combat and about how coming back to either wait | | | | they will be punished. It is believed these classes are |
| for another deployment or to their civilian lives is | | | | working. Over 300 men and women have taken the |
| mundane. This is one of the reasons some of these | | | | course, and there have only been three accidents. |
| veterans decide to get motorcycles that go fast. | | | | If you or a loved one has been injured in a |
| It’s obviously a different high than combat, they | | | | motorcycle accident in the Tulsa or Oklahoma City, |
| say, but at least it’s something. Two other | | | | Oklahoma or Fort Smith, Arkansas area, please |
| factors that might play into this are that these are | | | | contact the experienced motorcycle accident |
| mostly younger people between 19 and 25, and | | | | attorneys at Carr & Carr. |
| many have lots of combat pay burning holes in their | | | | |