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Preliminary Loss Reports (PLRs)

About Preliminary Loss Reports (PLRs)

PLRs are intended to be used as an engagement tool for leaders to discuss the hazards and trends impacting Soldier safety and readiness. A PLR contains only basic information, as the investigation is ongoing, but provides sufficient background to allow leaders an opportunity to communicate risk at the Soldier level.

 

PLR 22-045 - PMV-4 Mishap Claims One Soldier's Life

A 24-year-old Specialist assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, died in a PMV-4 mishap 22 May 2022 in Temple, Texas, at 0136 local. A Texas state trooper who responded to the accident stated the Soldier was traveling east on Highway 84 when he crossed the median and drifted into the westbound lane. The Soldier’s vehicle struck the front driver's side of a civilian Chevy Suburban. The Soldier was wearing his seat belt at the time of the mishap and there were no passengers. He was transported to the local hospital and pronounced dead upon arrival by the attending physician. The conditions of the occupants of the Suburban are unknown, but no fatalities were reported. The safety/unit points of contact are waiting for the Texas Department of Public Safety to release a final report.

Since 2017, the Army has lost an average of 35 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 17th PMV-4 fatality of FY22 and below the number of fatalities for the same time period last year.

Driving Tired is Dangerous

More than 100 million U.S. residents have confessed to falling asleep at the wheel. Approximately 11 million of those drivers admit they have had a car accident or near-accident because they were too tired to drive.

Nearly 1,600 deaths and 71,000 injuries are directly related to driver fatigue each year.

Preventive Measures for Driver Fatigue

When you’re tired, your body reacts differently than it would if it were fully charged and awake. Impairments in human performance when driving tired include slower reaction time, reduced attentiveness and weakened information-processing skills.

One study found that people who get less than five hours of sleep at night were four to five times more likely to get in a car crash.

Here are some tips to help prevent driver fatigue-related crashes:
•Plan to get sufficient sleep before driving. Shoot for at least six hours, but eight hours is recommended.
•Avoid consuming any alcohol when you know you’ll be driving late at night.
•Watch out for medications that may cause drowsiness. If you are taking any medications with this side effect, let someone else drive.
•Use public transportation or ride with a friend.
•Limit your time on the road between midnight and 6 a.m. if possible.

What to do When You’re Falling Asleep at the Wheel

If you’re already on the road and you find yourself getting sleepy, the best solution is to let a passenger drive, or pull over and find a place to sleep for the night. If those options aren’t possible, find a safe place to park and take a 15- to 20-minute nap.

Consuming caffeine equivalent to about two cups of coffee also helps keep you alert when sleepiness hits. Grab a coffee, caffeinated beverage, energy drink or energy tablet. Nothing replaces the benefits of actual sleep, however. Try to find a place to get a good, long rest as soon as possible, such as a hotel or friend’s house, even if you’ve already napped and consumed caffeine.

Finding yourself drowsy while driving isn’t something to ignore. Studies have compared driving tired to driving drunk. Be proactive in preventing driver fatigue and pull over and get some sleep if you find yourself getting drowsy at the wheel. A two-second dream about pizza can easily turn into a fatal car crash.

Tips provided by Health Safety Institute.

 

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