101 Critical Days of Summer Published May 28, 2009 By Lt. Col. Mark Jernigan 43rd Airlift Wing Safety POPE AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- Editor's Note: This week marks the beginning of the 101 Critical Days of Summer. The 43rd Airlift Wing Chief of Safety, Lt. Col. Mark Jernigan, provided a few answers to some of the commonly asked questions about the summer safety campaign. What is the 101 Critical Days of Summer? Simply put, the 101 Critical Days of Summer is an Air Force Safety Campaign surrounding the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day each year. Why is it critical? Each year the Air Force loses a significant number of Airmen and resources to accidents during this period. Each member is highly important to the mission, so it's critical that the Air Force heightens awareness during this time frame to help Airmen understand the risks associated with many of the activities we all enjoy during the summer months. Even one loss affects the mission, so it's critical to get the word out to our Airmen that safety during summer activities both on and off duty is vital to mission success. What activities are of concern? Really, most all activities concern us as safety professionals. But if I had to pick a few, I would say mainly high-risk activities such as motorbikes, sports and recreational activities like boating and swimming, and of course driving. Most anything we do carries some form of risk, so we have to make good choices to mitigate the dangers in anything we do. It seems these activities cause the most injury and death to our Airmen, especially during the summer months. Is there any particular age group that causes you specific concerns? While death is not discriminatory, we find that the overwhelming majority of our serious injuries and fatalities fall into the 18-25 year old age group. Though 18-25 year olds are particularly concerning, most everyone is at risk and needs to remain vigilant. Why is that? Well, I'd have to say that it's mainly because this age group is more prone to taking risks. There are a lot of reasons, but that's probably the best way I could sum it up. Many have not yet developed the tools and the experience to recognize the dangers of their actions in a lot of the situations we see. They're young, full of life and energy. They work hard and they play hard, which are certainly not bad traits at all. But, working hard and playing hard without a good set of tools and experiences to help shape behavior can sometimes lead to disaster. Tell us about your concerns with motorbikes. Motorbike fatality rates are exceptionally high. Every year we lose several good Airmen to motorcycle wrecks, usually more than any other single cause. Motorcycle riders have very little protection in an accident and will generally sustain significant injury in even a small crash. Motorcycles are pretty hard to spot on the roadway, and many times the driver can be doing everything right and still end up in a crash. Statistically, 80 percent of motorcycle accidents are the result of another vehicle pulling into the path of the motorcycle rider. Motorcycle accident rates are higher than other motor vehicles, and the injuries are typically more severe. The only protection a motorcyclist has in an accident is his clothing and protective gear. Cars have steel cages and crush panels to protect the occupants. However, motorbikes don't have that protection. We push training and protective equipment, but many times that's still not enough. It sounds like everyone plays a role in motorcycle safety? Absolutely, we all do play a role. This time of year, many motorcycles are on the road. Just recently during a brief stop at a local gas station, I saw eight motorcycles pass by in just the time it took to fill my tank. They're out there in force, especially during the summer months, so we drivers must pay particular attention when pulling out onto the road or changing lanes. Motorcycles have about one third the profile of a normal four-wheel vehicle. Our eyes are trained to look for other vehicles, so we must consciously tell ourselves to look for the motorcyclist. They have few ways to make themselves more visible, so drivers need to take an extra second or two to look closely before they pull out or change lanes. You mentioned driving as a cause for concern, is there anything particular about the summer months that elevates driving on your list? The summer months generally mean vacations and longer trips. Longer trips mean more time behind the wheel and increase the likelihood of fatigue and stress. We typically plan to get to our destination as quickly as possible then often push it to the last minute to leave in order to spend the maximum time away. That means we drive longer spans, take fewer breaks, add unnecessary stress and put ourselves at greater risk for an accident. What are some things we can do help reduce that risk? The first thing is to plan our trips during our normal waking hours. Take a look at your route before you hit the road and include some stops. If you are familiar with your route and you plan a few stops, you might just eliminate some of those stressors that tend to follow us on long trips. Take frequent breaks along the way and get out of your vehicle for a few minutes to stretch and walk around. Don't plan to be on the road more than six to eight hours per day, taking into account traffic conditions and breaks. Try to plan around peak travel periods, especially in major cities. Avoid distractions while driving. Put down those cell phones and change your CDs while you're stopped. Ensure your car is in good mechanical condition and safe to operate. That means tires and brakes need to be checked before you hit the road. Proper tire inflation not only ensures the life of your tires, it also reduces the risk of a blowout along the way. These are just a few things we can do to help reduce our risk when taking summer trips. It sounds like you're talking about risk management. Absolutely, risk management is something we should all do when we plan summer activities. We do it most times without even realizing we're doing it. It doesn't have to be an elaborate planning tool or checklist. It can be something as simple as asking..."Is that smart?" Just asking that question is using risk management. If the answer is yes, then you've likely mitigated the risk effectively. If the answer is anything other than yes, then you need to take a look at it and see if you can come up with a better solution to improve your chances for a safe and successful activity. You talked about water activities like boating and swimming, what are the major concerns about those activities? Well, as an avid boater, I can tell you that mixing sun and fun on the water can make for a very tired body at the end of the day. Now, if you throw in a few beers along the way, you're going to increase your chances of accident or injury as mental capacity will already be diminished by spending a long day out on the water on a sunny day. We tend not to hydrate ourselves adequately, which further complicates our situation. Reaction times are slowed, even without alcohol. Many studies have shown that fatigue acts much the same on one's body as alcohol. Add alcohol to the equation and the dangers are even more acute. We generally want to pack the most into our day, so we need to think about safety when we're planning water activities. Again, protective equipment can help us stay safe. Never swim alone, avoid over exertion, wear a Coast Guard approved personal floatation device and make smart decisions to improve your chances of a safe day on the water. What is the goal of the 101 Critical Days of Summer Safety Campaign? Our goal is simple: mishap prevention. Last year Air Mobility Command saw a reduction in almost every mishap category. The only exception was sports and recreation injuries, which rose slightly. The command had no fatalities for the first time since it stood up, which is a trend we would certainly like to continue. This year's AMC goal is zero fatalities and a 20 percent reduction in reportable mishaps. It takes everyone's vigilance to ensure we reach that goal. Where can people go to find information on mishap prevention efforts? There are various Web sites out there that discuss ways to prevent mishaps. We have built a Web site on the 43rd AW Safety EIM that will give readers a wealth of information, briefings and links to other Web sites to aid in mishap prevention. Each week is a different theme this summer, and our website will provide information for the week's designated focus. There is a link to our Web page on the 43rd AW's EIM homepage in the lower left corner. I hope everyone will take a few minutes to visit and find something they can use to help them in their mishap prevention efforts. Also, you can always give us a call or come by our office, and we can provide information to you personally. Do you have any closing thoughts or comments? I'll close with saying that safety is about attitude and making smart decisions. Everyone can make safety a part of their activities just by thinking about their actions ahead of time, being aware of their surroundings and exercising sound risk management in their summer activities. We can reach our goal and make this summer the safest summer we've ever experienced. It takes everyone doing their part. For more information about summer safety, call the Safety Office at (910) 394-8389.