MASTER SGT. EMMADELL ANDERSON-DUNBAR
310th Expeditionary Sustainment Command
U.S. Army Reserve
Millington, Tennessee
Driving safely during winter is challenging for even the most experienced driver. According to the Federal Highway Administration, each year, 24 percent of weather-related vehicle crashes occur on snowy, slushy or icy pavement, and 15 percent happen during snowfall or sleet. In addition, more than 1,300 people are killed and another 116,800 are injured in vehicle crashes in these adverse roadway conditions. Therefore, driving Army tactical vehicles during the winter in Vermont, which is one of our snowiest states, poses additional challenges.
While stationed in a transportation unit in Boston, Massachusetts, we routinely conducted a weapons qualification range at Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho, Vermont, during the winter months. It wasn’t the closest location, but we often chose it to allow for some winter driver training in addition to weapons qualification. The facility was about 200 miles from home station. As a Reserve unit, we rarely had the chance to drive our vehicles and utilize our equipment, so this was a great opportunity.
Although many of our licensed drivers were considered experienced, they were not very skilled at operating tactical vehicles in snowy conditions for long distances through mountainous terrain. We discovered how treacherous that could be during our first convoy to Ethan Allen. We knew the weather and traffic conditions before heading out and planned our routes accordingly, but we weren’t as prepared for the road conditions. Early in the movement, many of our drivers encountered black ice, causing their vehicles to slide along the roadway. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the convoy had to stop and regroup.
At this point, the convoy commander realized we needed more safety controls to keep the Soldiers safe on the road. First, he implemented additional winter driving techniques, such as further reducing the convoy speed so drivers could stop quicker. Second, he instructed drivers to use their turn signals sooner than usual, giving those following additional time to react. Third, drivers were told to increase the following distances between each vehicle and to tap on their brakes to warn others of their intention to stop. Finally, he gave the vehicle operators a class on which gears to use when driving on snow and ice, as well as how to react when they encountered black ice. Although all of this information should have been a part of the initial safety brief and risk management plan, the convoy commander acted swiftly and implemented these controls at the first encounter of a hazard. As a result, the convoy successfully made it to the firing range without incident.
It’s easy to forget that driving on snow and ice demands careful attention. That was made clear by our chilling experience during that first convoy to Ethan Allen. Those near misses were the catalyst for the unit to incorporate additional risk management into our battle rhythm. Sometimes, mishaps are unavoidable, but thanks to our continuous winter driver training, we were better prepared for future convoys in unfavorable weather conditions.
Did You Know?
According to the National Highway Administration, “Over 70 percent of the nation's roads are located in snowy regions, which receive more than 5 inches average snowfall annually. Nearly 70 percent of the U.S. population lives in these snowy regions. Snow and ice reduce pavement friction and vehicle maneuverability, causing slower speeds, reduced roadway capacity and increased crash risk. Heavy snow and sleet can also reduce visibility. Lanes and roads are obstructed by snow accumulation, which reduces capacity and increases travel time delay.”
For additional information on driving tactical vehicles in winter weather, check out this article from PS Magazine: https://www.psmagazine.army.mil/News/Article/2948326/tactical-vehicles-dont-make-winter-driving-a-chilling-experience. To access a wealth of cold-weather injury prevention tools — including leader talking points, articles, posters, videos and more — visit the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center’s winter safety campaign page at https://safety.army.mil/MEDIA/Seasonal-Safety-Campaigns/Fall-Winter-Safety-2024.