Risk Management Magazine

Every day, accidents occur throughout the country due to distracted drivers. While cellphones are often to blame, other factors can contribute to these mishaps, such as a driver’s psychological state. The following story illustrates the extent to which mental distractions can affect an individual’s ability to focus behind the wheel.

For service members, the first few weeks of reintegration after a long combat tour are crucial. We have to discard basic actions of doing even the smallest tasks that kept us safe during a time of danger. Surviving such harsh conditions also may give service members a false sense of invincibility.

I knew I couldn’t stop in time, so I instinctively grabbed a handful of front brake and started looking for maneuver options, but they were limited. There was no road shoulder — only a pineapple field to my right. Riding into it would ensure a crash, so that wasn’t a good option.