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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 23-104 - PMV-4 Mishap Claims One Soldier's Life

Posting Date:   /   Categories: Preliminary Loss Reports, PMV-4
A 25-year-old Specialist assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado, died in a PMV-4 mishap 21 August 2023 in Colorado City, Colorado, at 0630 local. The Soldier was driving home from San Antonio, Texas, when his vehicle crossed over the median, overturned and was ejected. The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) responded and pronounced the Soldier dead at the scene. It is unknown if speed or alcohol were factors or if the Soldier was wearing a seat belt. The unit/safety points of contact are waiting for CSP to release its final report.

Since FY18, the Army has lost an average of 35 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 34th PMV-4 fatality of FY23 and above the number of fatalities for the same time last year.

Safety tip

Drivers are Falling Asleep Behind the Wheel

Drowsy Driving Prevention Week, held every year during the first full week of November, is a good time to remember that drowsy driving is impaired driving.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 25 adult drivers report having fallen asleep while driving in the previous 30 days and many more admit to driving when they were sleep deprived.

These startling figures show how prevalent drowsy driving is. What drivers may not realize is how much drowsy driving puts themselves – and others – at risk. In fact, an estimated 6,400 people died annually in crashes involving drowsy driving, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Impact of Drowsiness on Driving

Driving while drowsy is similar to driving under influence of alcohol:
 
  • Drivers’ reaction times, awareness of hazards and ability to sustain attention all worsen the drowsier the driver.

  • Driving after going more than 20 hours without sleep is the equivalent of driving with a blood alcohol concentration of .08% – the U.S. legal limit.

  • You are three times more likely to be in a car crash if you are fatigued.

  • A driver might not even know when he or she is fatigued because signs of fatigue are hard to identify. Some people may also experience micro-sleep – short, involuntary periods of inattention. In the four or five seconds a driver experiences micro-sleep, at highway speed, the vehicle will travel the length of a football field.

Prevalence of Drowsy Driving Crashes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that every year about 100,000 police-reported, drowsy-driving crashes result in nearly 800 fatalities and about 50,000 injuries. The real number may be much higher, however, as it is difficult to determine whether a driver was drowsy at the time of a crash.

A study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety estimated that 328,000 drowsy-driving crashes occur annually. That's more than three times the police-reported number. The same study found that 109,000 of those drowsy driving crashes resulted in an injury and about 6,400 were fatal. The researchers suggest the prevalence of drowsy-driving fatalities is more than 350% greater than reported.

Beyond the human toll is the economic one. NHTSA estimates fatigue-related crashes resulting in injury or death cost society $109 billion annually, not including property damage.

Interventions for Drowsy Driving

Drowsy driving affects everyone, including adolescents and teens, who are not getting enough sleep (according to the CDC, it is recommended that teens get 8-10 hours of sleep each night). That means interventions focusing on this age group can help reduce drowsy driving. One such intervention is for parents to incorporate discussions and rules on drowsy driving while completing their parent-teen driving agreements.

Other ways to reduce drowsy driving include:

Crash avoidance technologies: New and existing safety technologies, such as drowsiness alert and lane-departure warnings, can detect common drowsy driving patterns and warn drivers to stay in their lane or take a break.

University interventions: College students receive less than average sleep, with some estimates at less than six hours a night; education programs aimed at college students may help curb drowsy driving and instill healthier behaviors that can last into adulthood.

Getting more sleep: According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society, adults should get seven or more hours of sleep each night.

Medication labels: An article by Consumer Reports found that side-effect warnings are not always clear; new labeling guidelines may help drivers understand when to drive or not drive after taking these medications.

Employers: Workplaces with strong off-the-job safety and health programs can include key information on getting sufficient sleep and refraining from driving drowsy.

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 91.6% in 2022. 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.

In 2021, 26,325 passenger vehicle occupants were killed. About 50% of those killed were not buckled (based on known seat belt use.)

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)

  • Tips from NSC and NHTSA

 

 

PLR 23-103 - PMV-4 Mishap Claims One Soldier's Life

Posting Date:   /   Categories: Preliminary Loss Reports, PMV-4
A 25-year-old Specialist assigned to the Army National Guard, Summersville, West Virginia, on Title 10 orders died in a PMV-4 mishap 10 September 2023 in Mount Nebo, West Virginia, at 1500 local. The Soldier was returning home following drill weekend when his vehicle crossed the centerline and collided with an oncoming vehicle. When emergency medical services arrived, the Soldier was unresponsive. He was transported to Summersville Regional Medical Center, where he died. Sleep deprivation, alcohol or drugs are not considered factors at this time. The unit/safety points of contact are awaiting the official police report.

Since FY18, the Army has lost an average of 35 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 33rd PMV-4 fatality of FY23 and above the number of fatalities for the same time last year.

 

 

PLR 23-102 - Other Ground Mishap Claims One Soldier's Life

Posting Date:   /   Categories: Preliminary Loss Reports, Other
A 39-year-old Staff Seargent assigned to the Army National Guard, Kalamazoo, Michigan, on Title 10 orders died in other ground mishap 28 August 2023 in Marshall, Michigan, at 0238 local. The Soldier and his nephew reportedly died in a house fire. His brother positively identified him at the scene. The Michigan Army National Guard was notified of the Soldier’s death. The Marshall Police Department (MPD) and fire investigators do not suspect foul play and believe the fire was accidental at this time. The unit/safety points of contact are waiting for MPD to release its final report.

Since 2018, the Army has lost an average of three Soldiers a year to off-duty ground other ground mishaps. This was the third off-duty ground other ground mishap of FY23 and above the number of ground other ground fatalities from this time last year.

Safety tip

Did you know that if a fire starts in your home, you may have as little as two minutes to escape? During a fire, early warning from a working smoke alarm plus a fire escape plan that has been practiced regularly can save lives. Learn what else to do to keep your loved ones safe!

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Test smoke alarms every month. If they are not working, change the batteries. Talk with all family members about a fire escape plan and practice twice a year. If a fire occurs in your home, GET OUT, STAY OUT and CALL FOR HELP. Never go back inside for anything or anyone.
 

 

 

PLR 23-101 - PMV-2 Mishap Claims One Soldier's Life

Posting Date:   /   Categories: Preliminary Loss Reports, PMV-2
A 25-year-old Specialist assigned to Fort Shafter, Hawaii, died in a PMV-2 mishap 7 September 2023 in Honolulu, Hawaii, at 1642 local. The Soldier was riding at a high rate of speed when he broadsided a vehicle turning left, careened into the westbound lanes and struck a vehicle head-on. Emergency medical services and the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) responded to the scene. The Soldier was transported to a local hospital, where he died shortly after arrival. The Soldier was properly licensed and completed the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s Basic RiderCourse 4 March 2023. Alcohol was not a factor, and the use of personal protective equipment is unknown. The unit/safety points of contact are waiting for HPD to release its final report.

Since FY18, the Army has lost an average of 24 Soldiers a year to PMV-2 mishaps. This mishap was the 33rd PMV-2 fatality of FY23 and above the number of fatalities for the same time period last year.

Safety tip

Motorcycle Fatality Statistics

There Were 5,579 Motorcyclists Killed in 2020
Unfortunately, 2020 was a bad year for motorcycle riders. A total of 5,579 were killed in fatal traffic accidents. This was the highest number of motorcycle accident deaths since the Fatality Analysis Reporting System was first started in 1975.

Motorcycle Accidents Accounted for 14% of All Traffic Deaths
Motorcycle riders account for 14% of all traffic facilities, despite the fact only 3% of all registered vehicles are motorcycles. Motorcycle crashes also account for 18% of all occupant fatalities and 4% of all injuries to vehicle occupants.

2,143 of Motorcycle Accident Deaths Occurred When Not Wearing a Helmet
Failure to wear a helmet is one of the biggest risk factors for motorcycle riders. In fact, 2,143 motorcycle accident fatalities occurred when riders were not helmeted. Helmets can help to protect against head injuries, which have a high fatality rate.

34% of Motorcycle Fatalities Involve Speeding
Driving too fast is another risk factor. More than one-third of fatal motorcycle accidents (34%) involve a motorist traveling at excess speed. Driving too fast increases the risk of a collision due to increased stopping distance and decreased control. It also increases the risk that a crash which does occur will be fatal because crash energy and forces increase as speed increases.

27% of Motorcycle Accident Deaths Involved Alcohol
Drunk driving is a well-known risk factor for all types of accidents, including motorcycle collisions. More than a quarter of deadly motorcycle accidents (27%) were alcohol-involved crashes. This includes single-vehicle accidents, which account for 41% of alcohol-impaired motorcycle crashes and which resulted in 880 motorcyclist deaths in 2020. By contrast, just 18% of alcohol-impaired motorcyclist crashes were multi-vehicle accidents, although these accounted for 556 deaths of motorcycle riders during the same year.

Alcohol-Impaired Motorcycle Crashes Increase at Night
Drunk driving increases during the evening hours, making this an especially dangerous time for motorcycle accidents. Forty percent of alcohol-impaired motorcycle crash deaths occur during the evening hours. And motorcycle accidents are three times as likely to involve an impaired driver during the nighttime compared with during the day.

On the Weekend, the Most Common Time of Day When Motorcycle Fatalities Occur is 6-9 p.m.
For motorcyclists, weekend evenings are a dangerous time on the road. A total of 24% of fatal motorcycle accidents happen between 6 and 9 p.m., with 676 deaths occurring during just this time period alone.

During the Week, the Most Common Time of Day When Motorcycle Fatalities Occur is 3-6 p.m.
Crashes happen earlier on weekdays, perhaps because more motorcycle riders are on the roads earlier during commuting hours during the workweek. A total of 26% of motorcycle fatalities occurred between 3 and 6 p.m. During this period, a total of 1,263 deaths occurred.

Tips provided by Forbes Adviser Christy Bieber, NHTSA AAMVA, IIHS, NSC
 

 

 

PLR 23-100 – PMV-Pedestrian/Non-Motorist Mishap Claims One Soldier's Life

Posting Date:   /   Categories: Preliminary Loss Reports, Pedestrian
A 20-year-old Specialist assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas, died in a PMV-Pedestrian/Non-Motorist mishap 7 September 2023 in Manhattan, Kansas, at 0600 local. Soldier 1 stopped on the side of the road to assist Soldier 2, who had struck a deer with her vehicle. Both Soldiers had exited their vehicles to inspect the damage when they were struck by a civilian vehicle. The Kansas Highway Patrol responded to the scene and both Soldiers were transported to the local hospital. Upon arrival, Soldier 1 was pronounced dead by hospital staff. Due to the injuries Soldier 2 sustained, she was transferred to a higher-level medical care facility in Topeka, Kansas, for further treatment and evaluation. She is currently in stable condition.

Since 2018, the Army has lost an average of six Soldiers a year to off-duty PMV-Pedestrian/Non-Motorist mishaps. This was the seventh off-duty PMV-Pedestrian/Non-Motorist fatality of FY23 and above the number of off-duty PMV-Pedestrian/Non-Motorist fatalities from this time last year.
 

 

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