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Show HILLTOl Hillcr TIMES July 22, 2010 Raising awareness for motorcycle safety, riders take to the streets en masse BY MITCH SHAW Standard-Examiner Davis Bureau A day after an Ogden motorcyclist was struck by a car and seriously injured, riders from Hill Air Force Base took to the streets to make their presence known. On Thursday, July 15, a convoy made up of hundreds of motorcyclists from Hill, local police forces and the general public weaved its way around the Top of Utah to raise awareness for those traveling on two wheels. Although the event was scheduled well before Kenneth Dickerson was hit on his motorcycle on 12th Street on July 14, the 50-year-old Ogden resident was on the minds of riders. "We had someone seriously injured just yesterday, and we're thinking about him," said Jerry Wilcox, president of the Hill Riders' Association and lead rider of the event held Thursday. "Accidents like that are the reason we are out here doing this." Dickerson suffered head trauma and multiple broken bones and was taken by helicopter to McKay-Dee Hospital. No further information is available about his condition. The driver of the vehicle that Dickerson collided with Wednesday, Shirley Darnold, 84, of South Ogden, was cited for failure to yield the right of way and no proof of insurance. The motorcyclists, escorted by Utah Highway Patrol and local police forces also on bikes, left from Hill's Roy Gate around 11:30 a.m., then met another group of local riders at the Hill Aerospace Museum. The group drove through Clearfield, Roy, Sunset, Ogden and Layton before making its way back to base. "Our message is simple: Don't kill us," Wilcox said of the awareness ride. "We get into enough trouble on our own." The ride coincided with a new base motorcycle safety campaign called "See Me, Save Me" that is designed to educate motorists to look for motorcycles while driving. Allan Woods, from the base's safety office, said motorcyclists also share in the responsibility of keeping the roads safe. "Motorcyclists need to be more aware as well," he said. "You need to have the proper training and be cautious when you get out there." To ride a motorcycle on the base, riders must attend an annual safety briefing, provided by Above, a crowd of motorcycle riders listens to Allan Woods, installation motorycle safety chief, as he gives pre-ride instructions on July 15 for the base safety event. Right, Dave Palmer, of the 505th Aircraft Sustainment Squadron, rides a Harley Davidson Trike during the "See Me Save Me" ride. JAMES ARROWOOD U.S. Air Force Hill's safety office. Woods said more than 1,500 riders completed the training this year. Lt. Col. Jeff Zemke, chief of safety at Hill, said 47 percent of vehicle accidents within the Air Force during 2009 were motorcycle related. According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, nine motorcyclists have been killed in* Utah this year. In 2009, the first motorcycle-related death didn't occur until June, but by the end of the year, 30 motorcyclists had died in Utah accidents. In 2008, there were 36 motorcycle relat deaths in Utah. Because motorcyclists don't typically ride during the wintei in Utah, Zemke said, other mot ists aren't used to them when tl weather warms up. "We call it the spring bike spike," he said. "You go fror |