Focus on safety over holidays

Photo By Laurie Pearson | Photo courtesy  

BARSTOW, CA, UNITED STATES

11.21.2016

Story by Laurie Pearson  

Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow

Over the course of the last month, there have been two serious accidents aboard Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow. With these, and the upcoming holidays in mind, Brian Korves, safety officer, and Lt. Kenneth Weeks, accident investigator with the Marine Corps Police Department weigh-in on motor vehicle safety during this holiday season.
The accident which happened on the Yermo Annex occurred when crews of individuals were releasing the air brakes on a trailered vehicle, with the intention of then easing it off of the trailer.
“The victim (in that incident) was the senior operator, and the only person with lengthy experience in that particular task at that particular time,” explained Weeks. “The task being performed was completely unfamiliar to one worker, only vaguely familiar to another, and though the third worker was familiar with the generalities of the operation, he had never done the particular task they were about to begin, which was releasing the air brakes on a trailered vehicle and rolling the vehicle off the trailer.”
In what appeared to be a rush to get things completed, safety measures were missed and the vehicle rolled off the trailer, pinning the victim between it and another rig. Had this been a few centimeters one direction or the other, explained Weeks, he could have been cut in two. Instead he miraculously suffered a few broken ribs, bruising and other relatively minor damage.
In the second incident occurring on the Nebo side of the base, two vehicles were on Joseph Boll Avenue, at approximately 7:25 a.m. at which time the sun made it difficult to see. One vehicle slowed to turn and the second vehicle rear-ended the first car. Fortunately in that case, there were no major injuries, as well, assured Weeks.
“Both cases would have benefitted from the involved persons simply slowing down and thinking about what they were doing,” Weeks said. “When dangerous tasks become routine, we often forget that we are literally a heart-beat away from absolute tragedy.”
When driving into the sun, implored Weeks slow down!
In addition to busy lives and visual obstruction, there are a number of other distractions which can cause drivers to be less responsive and potentially more dangerous.
“Distracted driving is the leading cause of traffic accidents in the US today,” Korves said. “Talking on a cell phone, hands-free or not, has the same risk. You are four times as likely to get into an accident (the same as if you had a blood alcohol count of .08). It is not the use of the phone that is the issue; it is that your brain gets overloaded. An example would be trying to watch your favorite TV show and talk to somebody at the same time. You miss either the conversation or the show.”
More common today is the use of text messages, direct messages, and other cellular phone applications while operating a motor vehicle, which can cause serious consequences.
”A driver is 10 times more likely to get into an accident while texting and driving,” explained Korves. “On average it takes a person five seconds to read a text, during which the driver is looking at the phone and not the road. At 70 miles per hour the car is traveling 120 feet per second. That means a driver reading a text traveled 600 feet, the length of two football fields, without looking at the road.”

Other distractions include eating, drinking, talking to passengers, grooming, reading maps, using GPS, watching videos, changing the radio station or cd's, looking at the kids in the back seat, or perhaps even the pets you have traveling with you, explained Korves.
“Admittedly there are a lot of distractions in our lives,” Weeks said. “So much in fact, that
it is easy to forget the primary activity we should be focusing on.
The bottom line is, when you drive, just drive and avoid doing anything that takes your eyes and mind away from driving, they agreed.
There are some other basic safety measures you and your families can take to ensure safer travels. Plan ahead and take your vehicle to the shop in advance to make sure it’s mechanically sound for the trip, advised Korves.
“Ensure that the tires are the type needed for the weather you will be driving in with plenty of tread (including the spare),” he said. “Make sure windshield wipers are serviceable and be sure to have a roadside emergency kit in the vehicle.”
Ensure that the emergency kit includes the basics such as tools, jumper cables, and water. Also include other items such as blankets, flashlights, batteries, flares, and even emergency food and medications if necessary.
Be sure to get enough rest, so that fatigue will not be a factor. Know the rules of the roadways you’ll be driving and Korves suggests that you drive defensively. Both Weeks and Korves point out the risks of driving after consuming any alcohol at all.
“At any given time one in ten drivers has measurable alcohol in his system,” said Weeks. “After ‘Happy Hour’ or during weekends and holidays those numbers go way up.”
Alcohol related fatalities also increase over Christmas and New Year’s Eve, explained Korves. The bottom line is, do not drink and drive. Your impairment starts after the first drink. You’ll have slower reactions, tunnel and blurred vision. You may not notice because the alcohol has impaired your judgement, he explained. The safest solution is to plan ahead and have someone who will not be drinking drive. Return safely.
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• Date Taken: 11.21.2016
• Date Posted: 11.21.2016 14:36
• Story ID: 215407
• Location: BARSTOW, CA, US