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Air Force revs up driving safety measures

A spike in auto and motorcycle deaths is prompting the Air Force to tighten its oversight of drivers — both on duty and off.

In fiscal 2009, 47 airmen died in off-duty traffic accidents as drivers or passengers, 61 percent more than the 29 recorded in fiscal 2008. Motorcycle crashes accounted for 20 of the deaths.

The increase came at the same time other services saw a drop in their motor vehicle fatality rates. For fiscal 2009, which ended Sept. 30, the Navy had the lowest rate — 9.8 accidents for every 100,000 sailors. The Air Force had 12.7 accidents for every 100,000 airmen. The rates for the Marine Corps and Army were 20.3 and 14.1, respectively.

Of the Air Force fatalities, slightly less than 75 percent were staff sergeants or lower-ranking airmen and about 50 percent were 26 years old or younger.

The Air Force intends to drive down the off-duty accident rate with measures emphasizing commanders’ responsibilities, family influences and improved safety classes, especially for motorcyclists, said Maj. Gen. Fred Roggero, chief of Air Force Safety.

One of the first moves came Oct. 8, when Air Force Chief of Staff Norton Schwartz and Air Force Secretary Michael Donley reminded airmen that Air Force safety rules applied while off-duty and that they will be held accountable.

“We cannot tolerate reckless operation of motor vehicles by Air Force personnel,” Schwartz and Donley wrote.

Reviews of traffic accidents in 2009 found 65 percent were preventable, Roggero said. As examples, Roggero cited how 35 percent of airmen killed in wrecks of cars and trucks were not wearing seat belts and 15 percent of the airmen dead in motorcycle crashes weren’t wearing helmets.

The Air Force instruction for traffic safety requires airmen to use seat belts and wear helmets on or off base, Roggero pointed out.

To improve motorcycle safety, the service is looking at several new measures, he said.

Base commanders are supposed to keep lists of airmen who own motorcycles, but a check of records at several bases found lists were incomplete and not kept in a standard format, Roggero said. The service is creating a standard electronic form that will allow an airman’s entire chain of command to see if an owner is listed and make sure the airman has taken mandatory safety classes.

The service also wants to expand the classes available, Roggero said. Most bases offer only an introductory class. The new courses could include lessons for slightly more experienced riders — those who have three months on their bikes — and lessons for riders of sports motorcycles.

At Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., the service had a “track day” for sports bike owners. They tested out the racetrack and got handling tips from instructors.

For all drivers, the service wants to adapt an Army program that requires a driver planning a long, out-of-town trip to file electronic trip plans with his unit. A computer program reviews the itinerary and alerts the airman and supervisors if it detects risky elements, such as driving nonstop overnight.

If supervisors and orders can’t change an airman’s mind to driver safer, then the service hopes family influence will. This summer, Roggero said, the Air Force looks to run ads encouraging spouses to speak up if husbands or wives are driving unsafely.

“A majority of airmen will still listen to their families,” Roggero said.