Airmen's safety is priority

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Valerie Hosea
  • 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  With the safety and value of Airmen's lives in mind, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Norton Schwartz, sent out a memorandum for all Air Force personnel on private motor vehicle safety Oct. 8.

"We are losing far too many Airmen to private motor vehicle mishaps," Secretary Donley and General Schwartz said in the document. "Last fiscal year, 47 Airmen were killed in motor vehicles, with 20 of those fatalities occurring on motorcycles."

The fatal mishaps are equal to nearly eight times the total number of Airmen killed in aviation mishaps, including combat operations, during the same time period. According to the memorandum, Secretary Donley and General Schwartz have set a goal for the year and all to come.

"Our goal from this year forward is zero Airmen lost in preventable PMV mishaps," they said in the memorandum.

To help reach this goal the 82nd Training Wing Safety Office offers classes on base.

"We teach several traffic safety courses on base and also ensure motorcycle riders have access to safety training at Vernon College," said Mike Jett, from the 82nd TRW Safety Office. "Our classes focus on changing behaviors in drivers and stress the importance of using risk management whenever operating either a four-wheel or two-wheel vehicle."
 
He said drivers should always use risk management principles when driving a car or motorcycle.

"It is easy to perform an on the fly risk assessment just by asking yourself 'what if questions. What if that car pulls out in front of me? What am I going to do?'" Mr. Jett said.

The 82nd TRW Safety Office provided the following tips to assist in motor vehicle mishap prevention:

·Keep distractions to minimum while operating any type of vehicle. Eating, talking or texting on a phone are all things that many people do every day. Operating a vehicle is multi-tasking enough in and of itself.

·Always match the speed to the conditions of the road. If there's any kind of inclement weather or low visibility, slow down. The speed limit is not always the safest speed to drive.

·Always wear a seatbelt, they truly do save lives. Most Air Force vehicle fatalities are caused by personnel being ejected from the vehicle during a crash. The chances of surviving a vehicle crash are pretty good, if wearing a seatbelt.

·Never drink and drive.

"Your full participation and support is imperative as we move forward to reduce injuries save lives and preserve our most important asset - our Airmen," Secretary Donley and General Schwartz said in the memorandum.