Preliminary Loss Reports (PLRs)

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 31-year-old Staff Sergeant assigned to the Florida Army National Guard on Active-Duty Special Work (ADSW) orders died in a PMV-4 mishap 9 July 2022 in Clay County, Florida, at 2140 local. The Soldier lost control of his vehicle, which overturned after striking a tree. The Soldier was found partially ejected through the sunroof. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Clay County Fire and Rescue Department at 2153. It’s currently unknown if speed or alcohol were contributing factors to the mishap.

Since 2017, the Army has lost an average of 35 Soldiers a year to PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 30th PMV-4 fatality of FY22 and below the number of fatalities for the same time period last year.


Distracted driving is dangerous, claiming 3,142 lives in 2020.

Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system — anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.

Texting is the most alarming distraction. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for five seconds. At 55 mph, that's like driving the length of an entire football field with your eyes closed.
You cannot drive safely unless the task of driving has your full attention. Any non-driving activity you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of crashing.

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.


The Top 5 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.

3. Guidelines to buckle up safely
-The lap and shoulder belts 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.

5. Seat belt safety for children and pregnant women
If you’re pregnant, make sure you know how to position your seat and wear a seat belt to maximize your safety and the safety of your unborn child. Read our recommendations below or view the instructional diagram version of our seat belt recommendations for pregnant drivers and passengers.


How Overcorrecting Leads to an Auto Accident

When a driver turns the steering wheel too hard it can cause the car to lose control. The driver then turns the over direction to correct the situation, but usually more than needed. This is known as overcorrecting. At slow speeds, this is not a problem. However, at highway speeds, a car has less tolerance for hard turns. The car is likely to spin out, rollover, or otherwise veer out of control.

An example of when a driver might overcorrect is swerving to avoid an object in the roadway such as a deer. Yanking the steering wheel hard and making the car veer off the road at high speeds leads to many car accidents.

How to Recover from Overcorrecting Before the Car Crashes
1. Firmly hold the steering wheel straight. If the ground of the shoulder of the road is soft, your car will pull to the right. Resist this pull by firmly holding onto the steering wheel while driving straight. Do not attempt to pull the vehicle to the left.
2. Take your foot off the accelerator while continuing straight. If necessary, you could also apply the brake some.
3. Slowly make your way back onto the road. Once you’ve allowed the car to slow down, ease your right wheels gently back onto the roadway. If the edge is too high, come to a complete stop before pulling back onto the road.

Tips from Parke/Gordon Personal Injury Attorneys and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
 

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A 24-year-old Sergeant assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, died in a PMV-4 mishap 16 July 2022 in Bell County, Texas, at 0200 local. The Soldier was drinking at a pool hall with four other Soldiers from his unit. As the Soldier attempted to leave, one of the other Soldiers tried to stop him but was unsuccessful. The intoxicated Soldier began driving eastbound in the westbound lane of the highway, when he collided head-on with a civilian vehicle. Texas Department of Public Safety (TPDS) State Troopers responded to the mishap. The Soldier and the two rear-seat passengers in the civilian vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene. The civilian driver sustained non-fatal injuries and was transported to the local medical center. This mishap remains under investigation. The safety/unit points of contact are waiting for TDPS 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 29th PMV-4 fatality of FY22 and below the number of fatalities for the same time period last year.


Every day, about 32 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes — that's one person every 45 minutes. In 2020, 11,654 people died in alcohol-impaired driving traffic deaths — a 14% increase from 2019. These deaths were all preventable.


How alcohol affects driving ability

Alcohol is a substance that reduces the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination. All these abilities are essential to operating a vehicle safely.

As alcohol levels rise in a person’s system, the negative effects on the central nervous system increase. Alcohol is absorbed directly through the walls of the stomach and small intestine. Then it passes into the bloodstream where it accumulates until it is metabolized by the liver. A person's alcohol level is measured by the weight of the alcohol in a certain volume of blood. This is called Blood Alcohol Concentration, or BAC. At a BAC of .08 grams of alcohol per deciliter (g/dL) of blood, crash risk increases exponentially. Because of this risk, it’s illegal in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher, except in Utah where the BAC limit is .05.

However, even a small amount of alcohol can affect driving ability. In 2020, there were 2,041 people killed in alcohol-related crashes where a driver had a BAC of .01 to .07 g/dL.

BAC is measured with a breathalyzer, a device that measures the amount of alcohol in a driver’s breath, or by a blood test.


BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION IN G/DL AND TYPICAL/PREDICTABLE EFFECTS ON DRIVING

0.02 - Some loss of judgment; relaxation, slight body warmth, altered mood.

Decline in visual functions (rapid tracking of a moving target), decline in ability to perform two tasks at the same time (divided attention).


0.05 - Exaggerated behavior, may have loss of small-muscle control (e.g., focusing your eyes), impaired judgment, usually good feeling, lowered alertness, release of inhibition.

Reduced coordination, reduced ability to track moving objects, difficulty steering, reduced response to emergency driving situations.


0.08 - Muscle coordination becomes poor (e.g., balance, speech, vision, reaction time, and hearing), harder to detect danger; judgment, self-control, reasoning, and memory are impaired.

Concentration, short-term memory loss, speed control, reduced information processing capability (e.g., signal detection, visual search), impaired perception.


0.1 - Clear deterioration of reaction time and control, slurred speech, poor coordination, and slowed thinking.

Reduced ability to maintain lane position and brake appropriately.


0.15 - Far less muscle control than normal, vomiting may occur (unless this level is reached slowly or a person has developed a tolerance for alcohol), major loss of balance.

Substantial impairment in vehicle control, attention to driving task, and in necessary visual and auditory information processing.


Consequences
Driving a vehicle while impaired is a dangerous crime. Tough enforcement of drunk-driving laws has been a major factor in reducing drunk-driving deaths since the 1980s. Charges range from misdemeanors to felony offenses, and penalties for impaired driving can include driver’s license revocation, fines, and jail time. It’s also extremely expensive. A first-time offense can cost the driver upwards of $10,000 in fines and legal fees.

Many states require offenders to install ignition interlock devices at the driver’s own expense. An ignition interlock device is a breath test device connected to a vehicle’s ignition. The vehicle cannot be operated unless the driver blows into the interlock and has a BAC below a pre-set low limit, usually .02 g/dL. NHTSA strongly supports the expansion of ignition interlocks as a proven technology that keeps drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel.

Tips from NHST
 

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A Private First Class assigned to Fort Bliss, Texas died in a PMV-4 mishap 28 Aug 2022 in El Paso, Texas, at 2230 local. The Soldier’s vehicle struck a concrete barrier at a high rate of speed and caught fire, resulting in the remains of the Soldier being unrecognizable. It is unknown if alcohol was involved. This mishap is currently 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 28th PMV-4 fatality of FY22 and below the number of fatalities for the same time period last year.


Speeding endangers everyone on the road. In 2020, speeding killed 11,258 people. We all know the frustrations of modern life and juggling a busy schedule, but speed limits are put in place to protect all road users.

Speeding is more than just breaking the law. The consequences are far-ranging:
•Greater potential for loss of vehicle control.
•Reduced effectiveness of occupant protection equipment.
•Increased stopping distance after the driver perceives a danger.
•Increased degree of crash severity leading to more severe injuries.
•Economic implications of a speed-related crash; and
•Increased fuel consumption/cost.

Speeding is a type of aggressive driving behavior. Several factors have contributed to an overall rise in aggressive driving:

Traffic

Traffic congestion is one of the most frequently mentioned contributing factors to aggressive driving, such as speeding. Drivers may respond by using aggressive driving behaviors, including speeding, changing lanes frequently, or becoming angry at anyone who they believe impedes their progress.


Running Late

Some people drive aggressively because they have too much to do and are “running late” for work, school, their next meeting, lesson, soccer game, or other appointment.


Anonymity

A motor vehicle insulates the driver from the world. Shielded from the outside environment, a driver can develop a sense of detachment, as if an observer of their surroundings, rather than a participant. This can lead to some people feeling less constrained in their behavior when they cannot be seen by others and/or when it is unlikely that they will ever again see those who witness their behavior.


Disregard for Others and For the Law

Most motorists rarely drive aggressively, and some never do. For others, episodes of aggressive driving are frequent, and for a small proportion of motorists it is their usual driving behavior. Occasional episodes of aggressive driving–such as speeding and changing lanes abruptly–might occur in response to specific situations, like when the driver is late for an important appointment but is not the driver’s normal behavior.

If it seems that there are more cases of rude and outrageous behavior on the road now than in the past, the observation is correct—if for no other reason than there are more drivers driving more miles on the same roads than ever before.


Speeding behavior and aggressive drivers may not only affect the speeder—it can also affect other drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Here are some tips for encountering speeders on the road:
•If you are in the left lane and someone wants to pass, move over and let them by.
•Give speeding drivers plenty of space. Speeding drivers may lose control of their vehicle more easily.
•Adjust your driving accordingly. Speeding is tied to aggressive driving. If a speeding driver is tailgating you or trying to engage you in risky driving, use judgment to safely steer your vehicle out of the way.
•Call the police if you believe a driver is following you or harassing you.

Tips provided from NHTSA.
 

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