|
Soldiers get crash course on safety
by Spc. Chad Seibold
108th ADA PAO
| |
 |
| |
photo by Spc. Chad Seibold/108th ADA PAO
Lt. Col. Serafin Meno, commander, 3rd Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment experiences a simulated 5 to 10 mph crash in the seatbelt convincer. |
The 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade conducted a safety stand-down today, focused on educating Soldiers about home, tactical and specifically defensive driving and privately-owned vehicle safety.
“POVs are the leading cause of Soldier non-combat related fatalities throughout the Army,” said Col. Christopher Spillman, commander of the 108th ADA Bde. “The first priority is to ensure leaders in this brigade do everything possible to educate their Soldiers on POV safety.”
David Martin, the brigade’s safety officer, is all about the numbers, stating emphatically, “Statics show that seatbelts, when properly worn, save lives.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seatbelts are about 50 percent effective at preventing fatalities and save nearly 15,000 lives each year.
“During a crash, there are multiple impacts that occur. The first impact is of the vehicle striking an object. The second impact is occupants of the vehicle, when not properly restrained, being thrown around inside or ejected from the vehicle,” said Martin.
As of Nov. 17, there have been 16 Army fatalities this fiscal year according to the Army Safety Program Risk Management Information System. That equates to one death every three days from a POV accident. Last year, that average was one every 3.3 days or 110 fatalities.
Recently, the brigade purchased a seatbelt convincer to demonstrate the effectiveness of seatbelt usage by simulating a front- end impact at 5 to 10 mph. This simulator demonstrates how being properly secured keeps occupants restrained within the occupant’s seat during a wreck, thus greatly lowering the risk of a life-threatening injury, as well as showing how much inertia is generated to stop even at a slow speed.
“First and foremost, we are dedicated to the safety of each Soldier in the Spartan Brigade,” said Spillman. “Soldiers are the most valuable resource of the Spartan Brigade, and we are committed to protecting them.”
|
|
