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A Killer Under Our ControlBy: SSgt Dudley C. Riner Jr. Date Posted: 2000-04-08 That happened nearly 2 years ago on March 23, 1996. I've begun to recover from that night's shock with the help of several Air Force chaplains and close friends. I remember saying, "No!" over and over again as I struggled to accept the fact that my family was gone. I knew "how," but I wondered "why" the accident happened. The answer may be something that each of us needs to take seriously ... poor driving habits. Every year, there are 83,000 vehicle accidents in the United States, and 43,000 people die in them. Most deaths could be prevented if drivers would just take a few moments to respect the power of inertia. An automobile is capable of inflicting tremendous physical damage. A car accident not only has the capability of destroying physical property, but it can sever precious family ties as well. I believe my brother didn't realize that his 1984 Subaru hatchback could become a killer because he disregarded his seat belt. Nobody in the car, not even the children, was wearing a seat belt. The vehicle was estimated to be moving at 65 miles per hour (10 miles per hour over the speed limit). The momentum of the impact was equivalent to the destructive power of falling from a height of nearly 7 stories. Another unsafe condition leading to the accident was the car's maximum occupancy had been exceeded. The car was designed to hold four individuals, but three adults and three children were crammed into it. The actual catalyst of the car's unexplained veering to the left was never officially exposed; but allegedly, the semi-truck driver saw a child moving from the back seat to the front. The driver stated that my brother was turned towards the rear seat (with one hand on the steering wheel) which caused him to accidentally veer the car to the left - into the path of the oncoming truck. They collided with enough force to rip the rear axle off the truck's trailer. It is a miracle that my three nephews survived. My brother had served 4 years in the 82d Airborne Division at Fort Bragg NC and was in the Gulf War. I'm sure that he considered facing the Iraqi Army a real danger; but like all of us, he may have taken the destructive power of his automobile for granted. The continuing success of our military mission depends directly on our ability to make sound decisions - on and off duty - about our personal safety. If someone is injured in a car accident, they may not be able to uphold their duties they have sworn to fulfill. All injuries directly impact personal readiness and our ability to mobilize worldwide. Whether it's in peacetime or during war, our country needs us to be fully operational so we can give our all. We need to be aware of how dangerous automobiles can be and then learn how to prevent accidents from occurring. Prevention begins with our individual awareness. Don't take your car for granted. Keep it in good running order - not just for your own safety, but for the safety of others. My brother's Subaru had rack-and-pinion steering badly in need of repair. I had driven the car 2 weeks before the accident, and I noticed I could turn the steering wheel half a turn before the worn teeth of the steering gear would engage and turn the car. My brother continued to drive the car, although the vehicle was unfit for highway use. That worn steering gear may have contributed to the accident, but it only played a minor role in comparison to my brother's attitude toward driving safety. A careless attitude toward driving safety is more dangerous than a single worn part. We should have a deep respect for the incredible power of momentum. A bird might as well be a brick to a fast-moving jet aircraft. A single bird can totally destroy a jet engine or tear a hole in an aircraft's fuselage or windscreen. My brother and his wife were killed instantly when their car hit the rear axle of the truck's trailer. The sheer power of inertia is a terrible force to contend with in a collision. It is a killer force that we have to respect, and that respect should include several sound driving practices. · Always wear your seat belt. It's the law, and it is required on all military installations. · Don't drive when you are fatigued. · Concentrate on driving safely. Don't do other distracting activities while driving, like fiddling with the radio or disciplining children. · Adhere to the maximum occupancy for your vehicle design. · Whenever possible, put children in the back seat of your car; place infants (up to 6 months old) in car seats facing to the rear, and always use child safety seats. · Observe the speed limit, and adjust your driving as appropriate for hazardous road conditions. · Drive defensively. · Never drive if you are impaired by medicine or alcohol. By following these rules as we drive, we can protect ourselves, our family, our military mission, and others who are on the roads. Unlike those remote-controlled cars I was watching on that fateful night, real car crashes have serious consequences. My tragic loss has shaken me into a new awareness for driving safety. I don't blame my brother for the accident. In my mind, he fell prey to an unsafe driving attitude that we all have experienced at one time or another. I hope my words hold some meaning for each of you so that together we can reduce the number of traffic fatalities in the United States. The last thing my mother said to me was, "I love hearing the sound of your voice"; and now because of a killer force that we have the ability to control, I will never hear her sweet voice again. Please drive safely. They’ll grow older And yet The battles That are waiting Divorce, Decision, Digress From the funerals Into weddings And pregnancy. How to fight the battles Is never as important As what to do tomorrow morning after the death after the pain after the knowing showing the world ‘what’ you’re made of Adultery, tragedy, So sad you see But not hopeless You survive God knows how A part of you dies And yet you lift Your head up Somehow… You obsess in times you should be sleeping You hold onto morals You feel are creeping Away from your Fingers Faith? Hope? They linger Silently, they never Answer out loud, That would prove They are real, without A doubt You win, you lose You fight The battles And like Webster’s They define, who And what, you Really are And as you climb That lifelong slope Custody battles, child support You learn to cope With being on your ‘own’ Somewhere you know There’s the goal You’ve always wanted And you go on Up out of bed Get it into your head That tomorrow is Another day, somehow Somewhere, you’ll make A way for your kids To be happy Really happy And as they wake Up from their naps And trade nightgowns Into graduate caps They’ll appreciate you And they’ll tell tomorrow That you fought the battles And that you won.. Copr. 1998 by Carter Riner |
   
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