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PLR 21-090 - PMV-4 Mishap Claims One Soldier's Life

A Private First Class assigned to Fort Hood, Texas, died in a PMV-4 mishap 21 August 2021 in Killeen, Texas, at 2130 local. Two Soldiers were riding as passengers in a civilian vehicle when they were struck on the side by another vehicle. One Soldier was ejected from the vehicle and his body was found near the scene of the mishap almost 24 hours later. Preliminary investigations determined the Soldier was not wearing a seat belt and alcohol was likely a factor. The other Soldier was discharged from the hospital with no injuries.

Since 2016, the Army has lost an average of 33 Soldiers a year to off-duty PMV-4 mishaps. This mishap was the 38th PMV-4 fatalities of FY21.


AR 385-10 – The Army Safety Program

11–4. Safe motor vehicle operations
a. Occupant protection (HSPG Number 20).

(1) Occupant protective devices will be worn by all persons in or on an Army-owned motor vehicle whether on or off the installation.

(2) All personnel, to include Family members, guests, and visitors, will wear occupant protective devices at all times on an Army installation.

(3) Occupant protective devices will be worn by all Soldiers driving or riding in a PMV whether on or off the installation.


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 90.3% in 2020. Seat belt use in passenger vehicles saved an estimated 14,955 lives in 2017.

55% of those killed during the nighttime in 2019 were unrestrained.

Of the 22,215 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2019, 47% were not wearing seat belts.

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.

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.

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 clear:

1. If you buckle up in the front seat of a passenger car, you can reduce your risk of: Fatal injury by 45% (Kahane, 2015) and moderate to critical injury by 50%

2. If you buckle up in a light truck, you can reduce your risk of: Fatal injury by 60% (Kahane, 2015) and moderate to critical injury by 65% (NHTSA, 1984)

 

 

  • 31 August 2021
  • Author: USACRC Editor
  • Number of views: 277
  • Comments: 0
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