From Compliance to Culture: Rethinking the Army’s Motorcycle Program

By Sgt. Maj. Rene O. Aleman

NCO Leadership Center of Excellence

April 10, 2026

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The U.S. Army requires Soldiers who ride motorcycles to complete courses through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, maintain current safety cards, undergo quarterly and semi-annual check rides, and submit to periodic inspections (Department of the Army, 2023). On paper, this appears to be a robust safety program. In practice, it has created a compliance-driven system that often does little to change riding behavior.

As an NCO and a rider, I have seen Soldiers give up their motorcycles, or worse, hide them because they do not want to deal with what they perceive as constant harassment in the form of mandatory rides, redundant training, and paperwork checks. Data shows riders who are active duty or reserve Soldiers have been involved in mishaps off post without current Motorcycle Safety Foundation rider cards (Escola, 2010). In 2024, 10 Soldiers experienced mishaps on a motorcycle in the Fort Bliss areas who did not attend the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Rider Course (U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center, 2025). When a program drives Soldiers underground, it stops being about safety and starts being about compliance.

Compliance Without Commitment

The Army’s program is rooted in good intentions: reducing off-duty fatalities, protecting Soldiers, and holding leaders accountable (U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center, 2022). Too often, however, leaders measure safety by whether a Soldier has a valid card or shows up for a check ride rather than by how they ride on the road.

This approach has unintended consequences:

Checking paperwork and forcing quarterly rides does not force commitment; it often deters it. If a leader wants their riders to embrace safety, the rider must ride often enough to gain valuable experience. Repeated and varying opportunities to gain experience through practice facilitates improved safety just as any training event that is regularly engaged. Current Army culture does not leave room for senior enlisted and leaders to encourage regular riding.

Why Culture Matters More Than Compliance

Riders themselves must live and own true safety; inspections, cards, or signatures cannot force it. The Army’s current program focuses heavily on compliance, but compliance alone does not translate into safe riding. What actually influences behavior is culture: the shared pride in motorcycles, the sense of freedom on the open road, and the unique bond between riders.

Motorcycle culture is powerful. Riders form communities not because anyone tells them to, but because they want to. They share stories, swap advice, and look out for each other on the road. When leaders fight against that culture, treating riding as a problem to control rather than a passion to be respected, they push Soldiers away.

As NCOs, we must learn to tap into that culture, not fight against it. The Army doesn’t need to reinvent what already works in the riding world. Civilian riders have long depended on mentorship, community rides, and pride in safe practices. If we build these values into our program, we turn compliance into commitment.

When Soldiers feel they are part of a respected riding community inside the Army, they are far more likely to:

Hold one another accountable without resentment. In a strong culture, accountability is seen as caring, not harassment. A rider reminding a buddy to wear gloves is different from a leader threatening counseling. By focusing almost exclusively on compliance, it overlooks the human element that makes motorcycle safety sustainable: the community. The Army counts cards, rosters, and inspection dates, but it does not measure whether riders feel connected, mentored, or supported. This is exactly what the motorcycle community outside the military does. Besides the outlaw motorcycle clubs, the motorcycle communities and associations support each rider and ensure they ride and arrive together everywhere they go. Motorcycle mentors should be asking their riders how they feel out on the road, what hazards they have seen, and offer advice. Without culture, compliance is hollow.

Soldiers respond to credibility, respect, and trust. Just as we build unit cohesion through shared hardship, discipline, and pride, we must build motorcycle safety through shared passion, mentorship, and culture. That is how we turn safe riding from an obligation into a way of life.

HQDA/U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center (USACRC) – Policy Reform

Set the conditions for a skills-based progression system. Revise AR 385-10 to implement a tiered, tenure-based training model that rewards experience over frequency. This recommendation addresses the core issue that frequent, repetitive training does not necessarily create proficient riders. By reforming AR 385-10 to a tenure-based model, the Army can shift its focus from checking a block every few years to a system that recognizes and rewards demonstrable experience and a safe riding record. This creates a clear progression path for riders to achieve an expert status that is maintained through active riding, not recurrent classroom time.

Update Army Training Information System (ATIS) to track mileage as a training metric.

To support a policy that values experience over course completion, the Army’s tracking systems must evolve. This action recommends updating ATIS to capture the critical metric of rider mileage. This technical change is the logistical backbone of the new policy, allowing leaders and Motorcycle Safety Program Coordinators (MSPCs) to validate currency and proficiency based on real-world activity rather than just training certificates. Add fields for “Quarterly Odometer Check” to replace redundant course certificate uploads for Advanced riders.

Battalion Commander

Resource the program and elevate its authority. A successful motorcycle safety program cannot be run as an afterthought. This recommendation seeks to formalize the MSPC role, elevating it from a simple additional duty to that of a primary staff advisor. By giving the MSPC a seat at the table during command and staff meetings, the commander empowers the program, ensuring rider safety and trends are a consistent part of the battalion’s operational and risk management discussions.

Mandate MSPC participation in monthly Command & Staff meetings to brief rider trends (not just overdue stats). Authorize dedicated training time and logistics. Empowerment must be backed by tangible support. This action calls on the commander to allocate dedicated time and resources for the program to thrive. Approving a quarterly mentorship ride on the training calendar (during duty hours) and providing vehicle support legitimize the program, signaling to the formation that developing safe riding skills is a valued and supported activity, not something to be done only on personal time.

Company Command Team

Build the culture and identify talent. The Company Command Team, specifically the first sergeant, can foster a culture of mentorship that a single MSPC cannot achieve alone. This recommendation is to decentralize the mentorship program by formally appointing experienced NCO riders within the company as Unit Mentors. This builds a scalable and resilient network of leaders who can provide direct, relevant guidance to novice riders, making mentorship a shared responsibility.

Identify experienced NCO riders in formation and formally assign them to mentor novice riders (1 mentor per 3-5 novices), removing the burden from a single MSPC. Change the narrative from Don’t Ride to Ride Smart. Safety messages are more effective when they are positive and skill-focused, rather than negative and fear-based. This action encourages the first sergeant to change the narrative from Don’t Ride to Ride Smart.

By using safety briefs to discuss skills and recognizing proficient riders, the company promotes a culture where responsible riding is a respected and valued technical skill. Use safety briefs to highlight technical riding tips or routes rather than fatality stats. Recognize Rider of the Quarter (e.g., most safe miles ridden) in unit newsletters.

Motorcycle Safety Program Coordinator (MSPC)

Target high-risk behaviors using Army Safety Management Information System (ASMIS) 2.0. This recommendation aims to evolve the MSPC’s role from a reactive clerk to a proactive risk manager. By gaining access to and utilizing ASMIS 2.0, the MSPC can analyze data to identify specific high-risk demographics within their formation. This data-driven approach allows for targeted interventions and counseling with the riders who need it most, preventing incidents before they happen.

Request USACRC access immediately. Every month, identify specific high-risk profiles (e.g., E-4s with sport bikes with less than one year of riding experience) for 1-on-1 counseling. Replace Check Rides with Skill Labs. Traditional parking lot check rides offer little value in developing rider skill. This action recommends replacing these superficial inspections with dynamic Skill Labs. These are planned, quarterly rides designed to practice specific, high-stakes scenarios like cornering and hazard avoidance in a controlled, mentored environment, thereby building tangible skills and confidence. Stop checking blinkers in a parking lot. Plan quarterly rides that specifically practice high-skill scenarios: cornering lines, group spacing, and urban hazard avoidance.

Squad Leader – Direct Supervision and Daily Engagement.

Conduct Tire & Odometer checks instead of Paperwork checks. As the leader with the most direct and frequent contact with a Soldier, the squad leader’s engagement is critical. This recommendation reframes their verification duty from a paperwork exercise to a hands-on check. By physically looking at a Soldier’s odometer during counseling, the squad leader can validate that their Soldier is riding enough to maintain proficiency, directly supporting the new mileage-based currency model. During counseling, physically check the Soldier’s odometer to verify they are riding enough to maintain proficiency (Target: ~415 miles/month or 1,250/quarter).

Discuss the Next Ride. A simple question can be a powerful safety tool. This action encourages squad leaders to engage their Soldiers in a brief conversation about their riding plans before the weekend. Asking about their intended route prompts the Soldier to think critically about factors like weather, road conditions, and timing, reinforcing the habit of proactive risk management before every ride. Ask Soldiers on Friday: “Where are you riding this weekend and what’s the route?” to prompt critical thinking about weather and terrain before they depart.

A Rider’s Perspective: What Works

From my experience, Soldiers respond better when:

I’ve seen Soldiers open up more during a casual group ride than in any mandatory safety brief. Soldiers who love to ride will find events to attend within their communities and are immersed in the culture. The motorcycle community shares many of the same themes you will find in the motorcycle safety program. We all want to ride safely because we all want to go home at the end of the night. The difference is that the culture is missing in the Army because the motorcycle safety programs are innovated and enforced by those outside of the culture. As a rider for almost 20 years, I always thought twice about riding on post anywhere I’ve been stationed because of the traffic and the rules.

Conducting a paper drill for a mentorship program does not work, especially with younger Soldiers. Younger Soldiers seek out coaching in a multitude of venues or media regarding their interests or hobbies such as motorcycles. Most of the time, they will find the thrill seekers and those who push the limits of their machines instead of those who promote safety in riding. We need to empower our motorcycle mentors in our formations, our NCOs, to reach out to our Soldiers to promote the right riding culture and safety. Below is a table that details the age group correlation to mishaps. You can see a significant amount fall in the 20-24 age group.

Empowering NCOs as motorcycle mentors is essential. They can serve as role models, providing guidance and sharing experiences that resonate with younger Soldiers. Establishing a mentorship program can help create a supportive environment where younger riders feel comfortable discussing concerns and seeking advice. Soldiers in the 20-24 age group are often influenced by their peers. By leveraging this dynamic, NCOs can encourage Soldiers to take ownership of their riding habits and to look out for one another.

Data also shows the Soldiers were in pay grades of E-3/E-4, the time of the mishap was at night, and the type of motorcycle is unknown. This suggests potential gaps in mentorship or engagement by the assigned Motorcycle Safety Program Coordinator; however, direct causation cannot be confirmed. Currently, the MSPC role is heavily focused on administrative requirements such as scheduling check rides and maintaining documentation. This structure reinforces a compliance-driven approach and limits opportunities for sustained mentorship and rider engagement, particularly among junior Soldiers.

The check ride is not effective. I ride in front of a group of riders, and they follow me. How am I assessing their performance when they are behind me? It just becomes a “check the block” paper drill that simply means, “I can follow a person on their motorcycle.”

Outdated Research and Irrelevant Studies

The last major study on military motorcycle safety was conducted in 2010 (Escola, 2010). While it provided valuable insights at the time, highlighting off-duty vehicle crashes and recommending measures like stricter enforcement and better training, it is now more than 15 years old.

Since then, both Army culture and motorcycle culture have changed dramatically. Soldiers today are younger, more connected through technology, and more likely to ride sport bikes or high-performance motorcycles than in 2010. The Army has introduced new data tools, like the Motorcycle Dashboard, and new policies on mentorship, but the underlying research guiding the program is outdated.

Relying on a 2010 RAND study to shape motorcycle policy in 2026 is like relying on a decade-old field manual in combat; it fails to account for changes in both the force and modern riding risks. Without new, Soldier-centered research, the Army will continue to base its program on outdated assumptions instead of addressing the real causes of accidents today.

How do leaders who do not ride or care about motorcycles create a mentorship culture for motorcycle riders? Place your most qualified rider as your Motorcycle Safety Program Coordinator, not your highest ranking. Empower your MSPC to drive toward culture change and embrace the program to reflect an environment where safety is paramount — an environment where new riders can approach experienced riders for advice and go for rides often, not on a quarterly basis.

The NCO’s Role

The Army doesn’t need more paperwork to save riders’ lives. It doesn’t need a new poster; it doesn’t need a new QR code or a new motorcycle safety foundation course or a check ride to a sandwich shop that wastes Soldiers’ time. It needs a culture where safe riding is respected, mentorship is encouraged, and Soldiers feel empowered rather than harassed.

As NCOs, we are the bridge. We must move beyond checking compliance boxes and start building a culture that values the ride, respects the rider, and protects the Soldier. When we do, we won’t just keep Soldiers alive, we’ll keep them proud to be riders in the Army.

By prioritizing these recommendations, the Army can create a motorcycle safety culture that not only reduces fatalities and enhances rider safety but also aligns with the mission of maintaining a ready and capable force. Emphasizing skill development, mentorship, and a positive riding culture will lead to more effective training and ultimately contribute to the Army’s readiness and operational success.

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References

Department of the Army. (2023). The Army safety and occupational health program (Army Regulation 385-10). https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN34981-AR_385-10-000-WEB-1.pdf

Escola, L. C. (2010, September 21). Understanding and reducing off-duty vehicle crashes among military personnel (Technical Report No. TR-820). RAND Corporation. https://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR820.html

Hughes, J. (2025, May 22). USACRC launches Army motorcycle dashboard mishap prevention tool. U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center Communications and Public Affairs. https://www.army.mil/article/285749

U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center. (2025). Leader talking points: Motorcycle safety 2025 (PMV-2). https://safety.army.mil/OFF-DUTY/Motorcycles/Information-for-Leaders

U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center. (2025). U.S. Army traffic safety training program: Motorcycle training. Fort Rucker: USACRC. https://safety.army.mil/Off-Duty/Motorcycles

 

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