2012 Critical Days of Summer kicks off

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Scott Saldukas
  • 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is a time that people are at higher risk for injuries or even fatality due to nice weather and more involvement in outdoor activities.

In the early 1970s, Air Force leaders noticed the trend and took action by implementing the safety campaign known as 101 Critical Days of Summer. Leader's intentions were to raise safety awareness while reducing the risk of off-duty mishaps.

For fiscal year 2011, 20 Airmen were fatally injured; six to automobile accidents, eight to motorcycle mishaps, three to sports and recreational activities and three miscellaneous.
"The number one killer during the 101 Critical Days of Summer is traffic fatalities," said Paul Blair, 47th Flying Training Wing ground safety manager. "Factors such as speeding, not wearing seatbelts or helmets and alcohol use were common in motor vehicle fatalities, which accounted for most of the losses."

According to the Air Force Safety Center, "The objective of the Air Force Critical Days of Summer Campaign 2012 is to call attention to the tragic loss and or injury of Airmen during summertime and to make them realize that safety is personal for their families, friends, coworkers and themselves. Counting back to Oct. 1, 2002, the Air Force has experienced 218 fatalities during the Critical Days of Summer, 201 off-duty and 17 on duty. The Air Force's vision is to ensure all of our Airmen have zero preventable mishaps and an injury-free summer."

"Common sense goes hand in hand with mishap prevention," Blair said. "Good risk management is just the structured use of old fashioned common sense. Think before you take risks and you'll succeed. We need to talk with our people at all levels about safety and the consequences of being unsafe, about the families that suffer and the pain they will feel when someone close to them is gone."

Fully understanding the risk at hand is imperative. Whether you are hiking or driving home from a cookout, safety is everyone's responsibility, Blair said.

"Summer is a time for families to enjoy themselves, but too often we forget to take the simple steps necessary to protect ourselves and to ensure we all have a safe and fun summer," said Col. Tom Murphy, 47th Flying Training Wing commander.

While the campaign is part time, safety never stops he added.

"Although this campaign is from May 25 to Sept. 4, safety is a year-round challenge," Blair said. "Our people are invaluable to us completing our mission."