SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. –
Personal responsibility, traffic safety awareness and a "wingman" attitude are the key tenets during the 101 Critical Days of Summer, according to Air Mobility Command Commander Gen. Arthur Lichte.
The command's safety campaign for this year, which runs May 24-Sept. 2, is themed "Be Your Own Safety Manager."
The effort supports the Air Force-wide campaign, which runs annually to counter the increase in fatalities and mishaps during the summer months. The campaign attempts to increase personal awareness of safety risks and thereby reduce the number of summer fatalities and mishaps.
"As an Air Force, we continue to lose more Airmen in traffic accidents than we do conducting operations around the globe," said General Lichte. "In response to last year's Air Force fatality statistics, our focus during this year's 101 Critical Days of Summer will be traffic and vehicle safety."
The general said Air Force wide, 14 of 19 Air Force fatalities last season were from traffic or vehicle-related accidents, and six of those fatalities involved motorcycles - primarily sport bikes.
AMC safety officials say traffic safety awareness includes "human factors" such as avoiding distractions, driving courteously and defensively, and being alert to pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, mopeds and other forms of transportation on the road while driving. Obeying traffic laws and wearing safety belts are other important factors.
"Traffic safety involves a shared responsibility on a variety of issues," said Johnny Wood, AMC chief of ground safety. "Much more than following the speed limit, traffic safety includes attention to a variety of topics and settings and obeying laws on the highways."
The Air Force's vehicle-related fatalities in 2007 could have been avoided, said General Lichte.
"The causes of all of last year's traffic fatalities were preventable," he said. "The common factors were poor decision-making, excessive speed, drinking and driving, or a failure to use seatbelts. In each case, the driver either failed to evaluate the risks associated with his or her actions, or his or her wingman failed to intervene."
General Lichte said among the command's safety initiatives is a recently-developed Sport Bike Training Course for Airmen, which is designed to prevent sport bike accidents by increasing an understanding of the vehicles' unique handling characteristics. The general emphasized that while safety courses help prevent accidents, a wingman attitude ensures mobility Airmen take care of one another and avoid putting themselves at risk.
"Providing great safety courses and adopting a safety mindset is only half the battle," said General Lichte. "The other half depends on all of us looking out for each other. So, 'Be(ing) Your Own Safety Manager' is more than just looking out for yourself - it's also about being a trusted wingman to those around you."
For more information on the sport bike course, call Master Sgt. Michael Kyser at 963-5601.