Preliminary Loss Reports (PLRs)

A 21-year-old Sergeant assigned to Fort Polk, Louisiana, died in a PMV-4 mishap 18 September 2022 at 0236 local. The Soldier reportedly left his residence prior to 0230 to take a walk and was struck by a civilian vehicle. The Anacoco Police Department received a 911 call from the driver of the civilian vehicle at 0236. Law enforcement personnel responded to the scene and found the Soldier dead. The civilian driver stayed on the scene and was cooperative with local authorities. First responders found the Soldier’s wallet and cellphone and used the items to confirm his identity. The Anacoco Police Department is currently investigating. The unit/safety points of contact are waiting for the Anacoco Police Department to release its final report.

Since 2017, the Army has lost an average of seven Soldiers a year to PMV-Pedestrian/Non-Motorist mishaps. This mishap was the third PMV-Pedestrian/Non-Motorist fatality of FY22 and below the number of fatalities for the same time period last year.

A PEDESTRIAN WAS KILLED EVERY 81 MINUTES IN TRAFFIC CRASHES IN 2020.

At some point in the day, everyone is a pedestrian. Unfortunately, pedestrian injuries and fatalities remain high. In 2020, 6,516 pedestrians were killed, and an estimated 55,000 pedestrians were injured nationwide. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration raises awareness of the dangers to pedestrians and provides tips to keep them safe.

8 Walking Safety Tips:
1.Follow the rules of the road and obey signs and signals.
2.Walk on sidewalks whenever they are available.
3.If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far from traffic as possible.
4.Cross streets at crosswalks or intersections. Look for cars in all directions, including those turning left or right.
5.If a crosswalk or intersection is not available, locate a well-lit area where you have the best view of traffic. Wait for a gap in traffic that allows enough time to cross safely; continue watching for traffic as you cross.
6.Watch for cars entering or exiting driveways or backing up in parking lots.
7.Avoid alcohol and drugs when walking; they impair your abilities and your judgment.
8.Embrace walking as a healthy form of transportation — get up, get out and get moving.

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A 22-year-old Specialist assigned to Grafenwoehr, Germany, died in a PMV-2 mishap 11 September 2022 in the Czech Republic near Ortschaft Horovice at 1255 local. The Police of the Czech Republic (PCR) reported that the Soldier was traveling at a high rate of speed and lost control. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The unit reported the Soldier as Absent Unknown on 13 September at 1130 hours and was notified of the mishap at 1457 hours. The Soldier was not properly licensed, had not completed the required Motorcycle Safety Foundation training, was not on an approved pass, and did not possess a passport. Additionally, the Soldier was given a written order not to operate his motorcycle. The involvement of alcohol or drugs and the Soldier’s use of personal protective is currently unknown. The safety/unit points of contact are waiting for the PCR to release its final report.

Since 2017, the Army has lost an average of 25 Soldiers a year to off-duty PMV-2 mishaps. This mishap was the 24th off-duty PMV-2 fatality of FY22.

Speeding increases the risk of getting into traffic crashes that can severely injure or kill other motorists. Speeding also affects the ability to react in time to avoid having an accident. If they drive too fast, they might not be able to slow down or stop in time to prevent a deadly crash.

This can especially be the case for motorcyclists who have little to protect them from their external environment compared to drivers of enclosed motor vehicles.

Why Drivers Speed
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 9,000 people were killed due to a driver speeding in 2018.

Several factors contribute to the increase in drivers speeding on our roads, as noted by the NHTSA. These include:

-Traffic congestion – With traffic increasing on our roads and highways, some drivers may get frustrated and respond by speeding, passing other cars frequently and recklessly, and become enraged at whoever they believe impedes their progress.
-Running behind schedule – Some drivers speed because they are running late for work or school. They also might be late in picking up the kids or getting to an appointment.
-Ability to be anonymous – When you are driving alone in your car, you are insulated from the rest of the world. This may allow some drivers to develop a sense of detachment, which can encourage them to feel less constrained and act recklessly because no one is witnessing their dangerous behavior.

While a traffic ticket is one consequence of speeding, the act can lead to other unfavorable outcomes with far-reaching implications, including:

-Higher risk of losing control of the vehicle
-Less ability to brake or stop in time if pending danger ahead
-Increased risk of a crash resulting in injuries to one or all parties involved
-Economic impact caused by speed-related accident

All these points illustrate how speeding can affect motorcycle accidents. If the driver of the motorcycle is not able to stop in time or have enough room to stop, they can make a mistake by overcorrecting and causing a crash.

Speeding is also viewed as a form of aggressive driving, particularly when a driver:
-Fails to obey the posted speed limit
-Follows vehicles too closely
-Passes illegally or where it is prohibited
-Changes lanes erratically
-Does not use signals
-Engages in racing

Safety tips by Ben Crump Attorney, NHTSA

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A 22-year-old Private First Class assigned to the Army National Guard in an Inactive Duty Training status died in a PMV-4 mishap 18 September 2022 in Harlan, Iowa, at 0400 local. The Soldier was unaccounted for during the 0700 first formation of drill, so the unit made several unsuccessful attempts to contact her. The unit contacted local law enforcement to assist. The Crawford County Sheriff’s Department confirmed they received a notification from the Soldier’s on-board emergency notification system of a crash and responded to the scene. The Soldier was reportedly involved in a single-vehicle mishap and sustained fatal injuries. The specific circumstances of the mishap, including speed, the Soldier’s use of a seat belt, and the involvement of alcohol or drugs as contributing factors, are currently unknown. The unit/safety points of contact are waiting for the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department to release its final report.

Since 2017, the Army has lost an average of 35 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 32nd PMV-4 fatality of FY22 and below the number of fatalities for the same time period last year.

Drowsy Driving Fact: THERE WERE 633 DEATHS FROM DROWSY-DRIVING-RELATED CRASHES IN 2020

Crashes and Fatalities
Sleepiness can result in crashes any time of the day or night, but three factors are most commonly associated with drowsy-driving crashes.

Drowsy-driving crashes:
1.Occur most frequently between midnight and 6 a.m., or in the late afternoon. At both times of the day, people experience dips in their circadian rhythm — the human body’s internal clock that regulates sleep
2.Often involve only a single driver (and no passengers) running off the road at a high rate of speed with no evidence of braking
3.Frequently occur on rural roads and highways

Tips to Drive Alert

HOW TO AVOID DRIVING DROWSY

1.Getting adequate sleep daily is the only true way to protect yourself against the risks of driving when you’re drowsy. Experts urge consumers to make it a priority to get seven to eight hours of sleep per night.
2.Before the start of a long family car trip, get a good night’s sleep, or you could put your entire family and others at risk.
3.Many teens do not get enough sleep at a stage in life when their biological need for sleep increases, which makes them vulnerable to the risk of drowsy-driving crashes, especially on longer trips. Advise your teens to delay driving until they’re well-rested.
4.Avoid drinking any alcohol before driving. Consumption of alcohol interacts with sleepiness to increase drowsiness and impairment.
5.Always check your prescription and over-the-counter medication labels to see if drowsiness could result from their use.
6.If you take medications that could cause drowsiness as a side effect, use public transportation when possible.
7.If you drive, avoid driving during the peak sleepiness periods (midnight – 6 a.m. and late afternoon). If you must drive during the peak sleepiness periods, stay vigilant for signs of drowsiness, such as crossing over roadway lines or hitting a rumble strip, especially if you’re driving alone.

SHORT-TERM INTERVENTIONS

1.Drinking coffee or energy drinks alone is not always enough. They might help you feel more alert, but the effects last only a short time, and you might not be as alert as you think you are. If you drink coffee and are seriously sleep deprived, you still may have “micro sleeps” or brief losses of consciousness that can last for four or five seconds. This means that at 55 miles per hour, you’ve traveled more than 100 yards down the road while asleep. That’s plenty of time to cause a crash.

2.If you start to get sleepy while you’re driving, drink one to two cups of coffee and pull over for a short 20-minute nap in a safe place, such as a lighted, designated rest stop. This has been shown to increase alertness in scientific studies, but only for short time periods.

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A 24-year-old Corporal assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, died in a PMV-4 mishap 11 September 2022 in Big Spring, Texas, at 1400 local. The Soldier was on leave, traveling with her family, when their vehicle overturned. She died at the scene. The Soldier’s husband, who was driving the vehicle and is also a Soldier, and child were transported to a higher-level medical center for further care and evaluation. They are both listed in critical condition. It is suspected that the fatally injured Soldier was in the back seat with the child and not wearing her seat belt. The specific circumstances surrounding the mishap are under investigation by local law enforcement.

Since 2017, the Army has lost an average of 35 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 31st PMV-4 fatality of FY22 and below the number of fatalities for the same time period last year.

One of the safest choices drivers and passengers can make is to buckle up. Many Americans understand the lifesaving value of the seat belt – the national use rate was at 90.4% in 2021. Seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017. Understand the potentially fatal consequences of not wearing a seat belt and learn what you can do to make sure you and your family are properly buckled up every time.

Of the 23,824 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2020, 51% were not wearing seat belts — a 4% increase from 2019.

The consequences of not wearing, or improperly wearing, a seat belt are clear:

1. Buckling up helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle, whereas not buckling up can result in being totally ejected from the vehicle in a crash, which is almost always deadly.

2. Air bags are not enough to protect you; in fact, the force of an air bag can seriously injure or even kill you if you’re not buckled up.

3. Improperly wearing a seat belt, such as putting the strap below your arm, puts you and your children at risk in a crash.


The benefits of buckling up are equally clear:
If you buckle up in the front seat of a passenger car, you can reduce your risk of:
-Fatal injury by 45% (Kahane, 2015)
-Moderate to critical injury by 50%

If you buckle up in a light truck, you can reduce your risk of:
-Fatal injury by 60% (Kahane, 2015)
-Moderate to critical injury by 65% (NHTSA, 1984)

The Top 4 Things You Should Know About Buckling Up

58% OF THOSE KILLED DURING THE NIGHTTIME IN 2020 WERE UNRESTRAINED

1. Buckling up is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash
Seat belts are the best defense against impaired, aggressive, and distracted drivers. Being buckled up during a crash helps keep you safe and secure inside your vehicle; being completely ejected from a vehicle is almost always deadly.

2. Air bags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them
If you don’t wear your seat belt, you could be thrown into a rapidly opening frontal air bag. Such force could injure or even kill you. Learn about air bag safety.

3. Guidelines to buckle up safely
-The lap belt and shoulder belt are secured across the pelvis and rib cage, which are better able to withstand crash forces than other parts of your body.
-Place the shoulder belt across the middle of your chest and away from your neck.
-The lap belt rests across your hips, not your stomach.
-NEVER put the shoulder belt behind your back or under an arm.

4. Fit matters
-Before you buy a new car, check to see that its seat belts are a good fit for you.
-Ask your dealer about seat belt adjusters, which can help you get the best fit.
-If you need a roomier belt, contact your vehicle manufacturer to obtain seat belt extenders.
-If you drive an older or classic car with lap belts only, check with your vehicle manufacturer about how to retrofit your car with today’s safer lap/shoulder belts.

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A Specialist assigned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, died in an off-duty water-related mishap 10 September 2022 near the Red River in Clarksville, Tennessee, at 1530 local. The Soldier fell into the water while walking along the Red River bank with a group of Soldiers. A second Soldier jumped into the river to rescue the first Soldier but was unsuccessful. Local law enforcement recovered the Soldier’s body the next day and pronounced him dead. The investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and local law enforcement.

Since FY17, the Army has lost an average of eight Soldiers a year to off-duty water-related mishaps. This was the fifth fatal off-duty water-related mishap of FY22 and above the number of off-duty water-related fatalities from this time last year.

Safety Tips for Hiking/Walking Near Water:
-Take your time and watch your step. Be careful and watch where you are walking, especially on slippery areas or near cliffs. Stick to dry paths and solid rock areas with good footing.

-Wear appropriate clothes and shoes. Wearing flip-flops or other footwear not appropriate for steep, rocky or loose terrain increases the chance of falling into bodies of water.

-Stay away from rapid waters and slippery slopes. Be careful and cautious when hiking near water, including waterfalls and swift or cold water. Climbing on rocks near waterfalls is extremely dangerous and can lead to a fatal fall or drowning. Do not attempt to cross streams during icy conditions, flooding, moving or white water, or any time you cannot be certain of the water depth. If you plan to cross any rivers, plan and prepare to do so safely.

-Don’t get too distracted taking photos, videos or just looking at the water. Watch your step. There will often be uneven ground, holes, bumps on rocks and stumps near the water’s edge. Tripping can cause a fall as easily as slipping.

-Be aware of the people around you, especially if there is a crowd. Other folks may not be paying attention and can accidentally push or shove their way for a better view, all the while being oblivious to your position and safety. And certainly, don't be that person oblivious to those around them.

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