RIDE SAFETY
It is important for everyone who rides with the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association to have a great time. To do that, it’s important that everyone has a valid motorcycle license and insurance as required by law. All riders must also be comfortable operating their motorcycle and be experienced enough to ride in a group setting.
Everyone who has operated a motorcycle for any length of time knows that there is some risk involved, just like with everything else in life. The Crossroads Chapter would like everyone who rides with us to have fun, but also to be safe when doing so. Please be sure to visit our Event Waiver page before attending any of our rides.
We hope you will join us in enjoying the open road and that you have a safe ride whenever you are out.
Safe Riding Formation
When we ride together, we ride in a staggered formation using the proper following distance.
As a general rule of thumb, we use a 2 second following distance for speeds over 35 mph on more open roads.
When speeds drop below 35 mph, we employ a 1 second following distance to keep the group together in more urban areas.
If you have questions about riding in groups, please feel free to ask questions of our members.
If you are a newer motorcycle operator or are at all uneasy about riding in a group, ask a member. We can put you in a position in the group so that you can feel less pressure about group riding.
We normally have people that ride in the rear of the group in the event that they are needed.
Our goal is for everyone to have fun safely!
We do have a safety protocol and give a safety briefing before all of our rides, just as many other organizations do. While we haven't had much of an issue, we have seen some things that have made group riding less safe.
To avoid any potential problems, we've put together a short list of things to avoid on group rides that will keep our rides the safe, fun events they have been.
Things to Avoid - Riding Side by Side
Because our rides benefit Veterans and are always a great time, people often come in groups with friends and family.
We love having groups of friends and family join us at all of our events, and seeing more and more people show up to help us raise money for our Veterans every year is wonderful!
We know you enjoy riding with your friends or family, but when riding in groups, it's much safer to ride in a staggered formation.
Please do not ride side by side.
We understand that you might be extremely experienced and often ride side by side. Should something happen mechanically to your bike, there is less time and space to react in a larger group. The chances of trouble might be remote, but we aren't willing to jeopardize anyone's safety.
We are happy to have you riding with us at our events, but we're even happier when everyone has a great time safely.
Things to Avoid - Crowding
It's easy to get distracted when riding.
Please maintain proper following distance and avoid crowding the motorcycle in front of you. The diver in front of you might be enjoying the scenery and a bike appearing along side might be startling.
Things to Avoid - Gaps/Yo-yo
Maintaining proper following distance makes the ride more enjoyable for everyone.
We've all been on rides where that one person lets a gap develop, then they speed up and slow down. Every single person behind them now is stuck in what seems to be an endless Yo-Yo. It's no fun for anybody.
Please be mindful of your position in the group. Large gaps create problems.
If everyone does their small part, all rides can become more fun and more safe for all participants.
If you have any questions about riding in groups, please ask one of our members.
If you have other questions, please Contact Us.
Ride Safely!