Risk Management Magazine

My experience at the red light was a classic near miss — an unplanned event that possessed the potential for harm but, by a stroke of luck, did not result in injury or damage. These close calls provide invaluable learning opportunities.

A fatal off-duty pedestrian accident involving a Soldier highlights a dangerous gap in situational awareness, where personnel routinely relax their disciplined on-duty safety habits once they leave uniform. Individuals must actively apply defensive walking techniques and high-visibility practices to survive everyday off-duty environments.

The failure to use vehicle seat belts represents a direct breakdown in disciplined risk management, transforming highly survivable accidents into catastrophic losses of combat power and readiness. To counter driver complacency and protect the entire team from severe second- and third-order effects, Army leaders must treat restraint use as a non-negotiable safety standard equivalent to weapons safety and tactical protective equipment.