Stopping accidents before they stop you

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Adrian Hall
  • 31st Fighter Wing Ground Safety
AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy --  The 31st Fighter Wing "Stop accidents before they stop you," traffic safety campaign is in full swing, the 31st Fighter Wing safety office would like to provide information on vehicle accidents that occurred throughout 2014. 

As you may be aware, over half of the reported safety mishaps here at Aviano are vehicle accidents. The accident rate continues to be an issue and by providing this information, we hope that we can reduce future mishaps. 

Aviano experienced 363 vehicle accidents in 2014. This equates to nearly one accident per day for an average of 30 accidents a month. The largest number of vehicle accidents in a single day was Feb. 11, where Team Aviano members were involved in six accidents in 24-hours. Out of the 363 vehicle accidents, 104 were classified as major vehicle accidents.  A vehicle accident is considered a major vehicle accident when someone is injured or when one vehicle is towed from the scene. 

The severity of injuries ranged from bumps and bruises, whiplash, lacerations and fractures to more severe traumatic brain injuries to include being knocked unconscious and put into a coma. Sadly, we lost two great members of our community in separate vehicle accidents. One occurred last spring when a member rode off the road on a motorcycle and the other this fall when a member was ejected during a vehicle rollover. We fear fatalities will happen again if we do not make changes to our driving habits.

The primary factors for the majority of the accidents are grouped into three categories:

· Inattentive driving
· Speed and driving too fast for conditions
· Improper driving

Inattentive driving is the number one factor for the mishaps, resulting in 179 accidents. Speed and driving too fast for conditions accounted for 85 mishaps and 68 were due to improper operations. There were a variety of factors for the rest of the vehicle accidents to include illegal operations, animals and vehicle malfunctions.

During the month of December, Aviano experienced 24 vehicle accidents. This is four less than we experienced in December 2013.  Although this was below the monthly average, we had the same amount of major vehicle accidents this December as we did in 2013.

The only way we can stop accidents is to remove ourselves from auto pilot. We all know how to drive, which is often the issue as it becomes second nature. We place conversation, entertainment, and other factors, as our number one priority.  In order to keep ourselves out of danger, we must actively participate while driving. By doing so, you will notice the curve ahead, the vehicle pulling out in front of you, the light change or the upcoming traffic circle. Don't look back at your drive and think, "how did I get here."

Please, stop accidents before they stop you!

For more information, questions or comments, call 632-4817.