Risk Management Magazine

It’s time for your road trip. In preparation, you work through a checklist to make sure you are ready. All the essentials are packed and then you remember, “I need to check my vehicle.” You look at the tires to ensure they are properly inflated, check the fluid levels, fill the gas tank and maybe even have a mechanic inspect the vehicle. However, one important safety item often is overlooked. Did you check if your vehicle has an open safety recall?

For several years, the U.S. Army has experienced an increase in Soldiers dying in off-duty mishaps. Whether they were driving a vehicle, riding a motorcycle, swimming, walking or handling a privately owned weapon, one thing always seems to ring true: either the mishap Soldier or another individual did not apply real-time risk management (RM) before engaging in that off-duty activity.

I was about halfway across when a blue Ford Mustang that had been stopped at the red light flew through the crosswalk, nearly clipping me from behind.