CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 3 JONATHAN W. HARRIS
160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne)
Fort Campbell, Kentucky

When someone brings up the topic of safety, my first thought is the prevention of aviation accidents or hazards associated with being a pilot. Every day, safety is enforced in my company through risk assessments, briefs or monthly training. The fact is my job is very safe due to the restrictions, policies and regulations put into place to mitigate many of the hazards I may face. The most dangerous portion of my day actually takes place when I’m on the ground, driving back and forth to work.

Much of my daily 45-minute commute takes place on highway 41A, located outside of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. This highway is notorious for accidents due to motorists driving erratically, and I often deal with heavy traffic, inexperienced drivers, people texting and driving, road rage and environmental factors I can’t control. Not surprisingly, I often pass several accidents. While most of these are only minor, there is the occasional fatality.

My story begins on a cold January day. The forecast predicted sleet and rain, so one of my friends suggested we carpool due to the possibility of bad weather. At the time, I owned a Ford F-150 four-wheel-drive extended-cab truck, so I suggested I drive because my vehicle was better equipped for the weather conditions than his sports car. Since I was picking him up at his house, we decided to take I-24 to work. We figured it should take us about 30 minutes to get there.

Moments after we got on the road, the rain changed to sleet and then snow. We contacted our supervisor to let him we might be a few minutes late due to the changing conditions. He told us the weather was quickly changing there, too, but there hadn’t been any word passed down about canceling our flight or releasing us from duty, so we continued to work.

Once we got on the interstate, I decided to stay in left lane since the road conditions seemed to be better suited for driving. We talked about the changing conditions and slowed our speed, staying with the flow of traffic and allowing plenty of room between vehicles. We passed several accidents along the way where vehicles had slid off the road into ditches, including one that had overturned.

With our exit approaching, I knew I needed to change lanes. However, when my tires hit the slush that had built between lanes, my truck began to slide out of control. While we slid backward, I tried my best to regain control as we went over an embankment and slammed through an exit sign before coming to rest beside a farmer’s field.

My truck sustained major damage to the front end and bed when we crashed through the sign. We were very lucky we didn’t overturn or strike any other vehicles as we exited the road. Best of all, we were uninjured — just a little shaken.

In the end, the most dangerous part of our accident was not the actual crash but, rather, some of the good Samaritans who stopped to assist us. Although they were trying to be helpful, they ended up causing other people to crash. It was a total disaster. If you must drive in winter conditions, keep these tips in mind to help keep you safe:

• Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.


• Make sure your tire tread is in good condition.


• Keep your headlights and windshield clean.


• Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.


• Don't pass snowplows and sanding trucks. The drivers of these vehicles have limited visibility, and you'll likely find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.


• Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel-drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.