Oceana Motorcycle Riders Pledge 'W82TXT'

By Cathy Heimer, NAS Oceana Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- As part of Hampton Roads public service safety campaign, Sailors who are motorcycle riders at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana and Dam Neck Annex took the pledge to keep themselves safe on the road May 3, whether riding their bikes or behind the wheel of a vehicle.

"W82TXT," the campaign sponsored by local television station, WAVY -TV 10, visited Oceana for the second time since sponsoring the program one year ago.

"W82TXT is a grassroots effort campaign to promote awareness about texting and driving. It's become a huge epidemic in this area and a lot of people are thinking they can get away with it and they don't realize the severity and danger of it," explained Kenita Bowers, community affairs director for WAVY -TV 10.

The filming of the public service announcement with the riders is one of several local events to recognize that May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. The National Safety Council sponsors the campaign to make vehicle drivers more aware of bikers and to share the road with them. Another event to promote motorcycle safety is the annual Oceana Motorcycle Safety Rodeo, to be held May 4.

NAS Oceana Executive Officer Capt. Kit Chope participated in the filming of the PSA and also promoted the Oceana Motorcycle Safety Rodeo.

"As a fellow driver on the roads, it's a hazard to me, my family and my friends when folks are driving distracted. So therefore, us supporting the W82TXT campaign is an investment in our own future and our health," said Chope.

Chope, the father of two teenagers, one of whom is a driver, believes "anything I can do to keep them safe is important. But it's not just about my kids; it's about all of our folks who are working here on base, our fellow neighbors in Hampton Roads."

Motorcycle riders such as Aviation Structural Mechanic (AM) 3rd Class (AW) Matthew Rucker, is one of the riders from Oceana concerned about the effect that distracted drivers have.

"A lot of times, the cars don't see us and this (W82TXT) will make it a lot safer for a lot of people," he said. Rucker, from the Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic Site Oceana was one of the Sailors pledging to W82TXT.

"This raises awareness, especially for motorcyclists," said Rucker, who rides a 2003 Harley Davidson.

While the station has visited a minimum of four events each quarter since its kickoff, Bowers said Oceana is the only military base where they have filmed their PSAs. "Popping" a blue thumb band for the cameras, the Sailors pledged not to text while driving. As part of that pledge, they also signed the traveling banner promising not to text while driving.

With thousands of Hampton Roads residents taking the pledge, Bowers said the station has filled up two banners with signatures and is now on its third. "Our goal was to get a 150,000 people to sign and I'm sure we surpassed that," she said.

Chope also wanted to remind drivers that texting while driving on a military installation is illegal. "The Navy long ago, outlawed use of cell phones on base, unless it's in a hands-free fashion, so there's no texting on cell phones, no playing games on cell phones, no taking pictures on cell phone, if you're driving on a naval installation."

Since July 1, 2009, texting while driving is a secondary violation in the state of Virginia, meaning the police must spot a more serious offense to pull a driver over. But if cited for texting while driving, drivers will be issued a ticket which comes with a fine. And if a driver is driving recklessly because they are texting, like weaving in and out their lane, the police can cite them for reckless driving as the primary offense.

Bowers sees W82TXT as an ongoing event. "I'd love to say the problem is over, problem solved and we've stopped but as long as it's an epidemic and the community needs to be aware of it, we'll keep going with it," she said.