Released: Jan. 22, 2004
31st Logistics Readiness Squadron
AVIANO
AIR BASE, Italy (USAFENS)
– Every day, airmen around the world are faced with, and conquer, complex
challenges. Still each year military members and dependents are killed in
pedestrian accidents.
The
regulations on the use of reflective gear are widespread. At almost all
commanders' calls and staff meetings, the topic of reflective belts is
discussed. Airmen are normally issued the proper equipment upon arriving at
their duty section, but it is still common to find military members running from
cars and entering the Base Exchange without a reflective belt. Common
excuses are: "I forgot it at home," or "It's in the car,"
but these same airman would never be caught without their hats or other
mandatory uniform items.
The
simple fact is that wearing the proper reflective equipment is not only
mandatory, but it might also save your life. In The United States alone,
pedestrians and bicyclists account for approximately 5,000 deaths and 123,000
injuries a year, in traffic accidents. According to the National Center
for Statistics and Analysis, on average, a pedestrian is killed in a motor
vehicle crash every 108 minutes, and one is injured every seven minutes.
As
outlined in Air Force Occupational Safety and Health 91-501, all military
members in uniform are required to wear reflective gear in times of low
visibility. In some cases, major commands and wings around the Air Force
have employed stricter regulations.
It
is difficult to say what will make all military members comply with the current
standard. Hopefully accidents do not need to happen in each unit, to open
the eyes of all its airmen. Understanding
the importance of this standard is not only important to the Air Force mission,
but also to its members' survival.
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