RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
As children return to school, the professional football season begins, the days get shorter and Airmen are reminded that Labor Day is approaching.
This means the ending of 2009's 101 Critical Days of Summer--which saw the deaths, so far, of 19 Airmen in fatal accidents. Data provided from the Summer 09 Joint Service Safety Campaign said 14 Airmen perished during the summer of 2008; 18 Airmen died during the summer of 2007.
For the Air Force, last week was the deadliest of all weeks during this summer because during it, five Airmen perished -- in two private motor vehicle wrecks, one motorcycle wreck, a drowning and a light plane crash.
"We have experienced a very tragic week," said Paul Carlisle, Air Force Safety Center's deputy chief of ground safety, in an e-mail. "We don't know the causes of these mishaps because they are still under investigation."
Because of this grim statistic, safety officials are encouraging commanders to brief Airmen that safety, especially over a long weekend where there will be road trips and parties, is paramount.
"Now is a good time to suggest to commanders," Mr. Carlisle said, "that they hold a commander's call. Encourage them to invite spouses to participate and hear what the commander, first sergeant and chief master sergeant of their organizations have to say to Airmen about risk management. It could make all the difference in saving lives."
Mr. Carlisle added "risk decisions" are made easy if Airmen follow three steps under the acronym "ACT:" assess, consider, take. First, assess the risks and decide what the hazards are; decide how likely the hazard is to happen and if one or more of the hazards do happen, how bad is it. Second, consider options to take to limit risk, what are the best choices and who decides which choice to use. Finally, Airmen should take appropriate action based on their best options.
One of the best choices any Airman should make is to not drink and drive, especially in Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation will be working overtime to find and arrest drunk drivers this Labor Day holiday.
"Every hour, two Texans are killed or injured in an alcohol-related traffic crash," said Carol Rawson, TxDOT's Traffic Operations interim director. "We hope by supporting this special enforcement effort and encouraging drivers to plan ahead to get home safely, we can make the roads safer for everyone this Labor Day."
TxDOT officials said in 2007, 1,672 people died in alcohol-related car crashes in Texas. To combat this, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Yellow Cab and hundreds of local law enforcement agencies are participating in the annual "Drink, Drive, Go to Jail" campaign.
Convicted first-time Driving While Intoxicated offenders can pay a fine of up to $2,000, lose their driver's license for as long as a year and serve 180 days in jail. State officials say other costs associated with a drunk driving arrest and conviction can add up to more than $17,000 for bail, legal fees, court appearances, court-ordered classes, vehicle insurance increases and other expenses.
"Drinking and driving is not worth it, especially during the Labor Day holiday, when law enforcement is watching the roads intently," said Linda Howlett, 12th Flying Training Wing chief of ground safety. "So, plan ahead by having a sober wingman as a designated driver, or call a cab, or call Airmen Against Drunk Driving at 1-877-AADD-123 - and remember 0-0-1-3. Don't be a statistic."