A 23-year-old Private First Class assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas, died in a PMV-4 mishap 28 September 2024 in Crocket County, Texas, at 1630 local. The Soldier was driving in the wrong lane and collided head-on with another vehicle. The specific circumstances of the mishap, including the use of seat belts, speed or the involvement of alcohol, are currently unknown.

Since FY19, the Army has lost an average of 35 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 36th PMV-4 fatality of FY24 and below the number of fatalities for this period last year.

Safety tip

What you can do to prevent impaired driving

• Don't drive while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs or ride with an impaired driver.
• Don't let your friends drive while impaired.
• Always wear a seat belt on every trip.

What drivers can do

• Plan ahead. If you plan to drink alcohol or use drugs, make plans so that you do not have to drive.
• Get a ride home. If you have been drinking alcohol and/or using drugs, get a ride home with a driver who has not been drinking or using drugs, use a rideshare service or call a taxi.
• Agree on a trusted designated driver ahead of time. If you are with a group, agree on a trusted designated driver in the group who will not drink alcohol or use drugs.
• Be aware of prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines. It's not just alcohol, marijuana, and illicit drugs that can impair your ability to drive. Many types of prescription medicines and some over-the-counter medicines can also affect your ability to drive safely, either on their own or when combined with alcohol. Avoid driving if you are unsure how a medicine may affect you, if it has side effects that can harm your ability to drive, or if your doctor tells you not to drive after using a medicine.

What everyone can do

• Don't let your friends drive while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs.
• Don't ride with an impaired driver.
• If you're hosting a party where alcohol or drugs will be available, remind your guests to plan ahead. Arrange for alternative transportation or agree on a trusted designated driver who will not drink alcohol or use drugs. Offer alcohol-free beverages, and make sure all guests leave with a driver who has not been drinking alcohol and/or using drugs.
• If you or someone you know is having trouble with alcohol or drugs, help is available.
• Always wear a seat belt on every trip—regardless of whether you're the driver, the front seat passenger, or a back seat passenger. Wearing a seat belt reduces the risk of dying or being seriously injured in a crash by about half.

Overview

Alcohol

• In 2020, 11,654 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers, accounting for 30% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States. This was a 14.3% increase compared to the number of crash deaths involving alcohol-impaired drivers in 2019.
• 32 people in the United States are killed every day in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver—this is one death every 45 minutes.
• The annual estimated cost of crash deaths involving alcohol-impaired drivers totaled about $123.3 billionA in 2020. These costs include medical costs and cost estimates for lives lost.

Who is affected

• 62% of people who died in crashes involving alcohol-impaired drivers in 2020 were the alcohol-impaired drivers themselves; 38% were passengers of the alcohol-impaired drivers, drivers or passengers of another vehicle, or nonoccupants (such as a pedestrian).1
• 229 children ages 0–14 years were killed in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver in 2020. This was 21% of traffic-related deaths among children ages 0–14 years.

Tips provided by the CDC.