SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Memorial Day to Labor Day, known as the Critical Days of Summer, is the time of year when people see an increase in mishaps as they get out to enjoy the warm weather.
"Summer is a high peak season for travel," said Tech. Sgt. Jermaine Goodman, 375th Safety Office, ground safety technician. "So it's imperative to drive safely and watch out for others on the road. People sometimes get on the road, and they bypass their hours of alertness. Some plan to work all day, take leave and then drive home through the night.
"Mishaps occur from people just falling asleep at the wheel. Fatigued driving is preventable by getting the proper amount of rest before taking a long trip."
The Critical Days of Summer has become an awareness tool for the Air Force and the other branches, to promote safety, awareness and minimize preventable mishaps. Officials chaired this effort to educate personnel and increase safety and education.
Throughout the summer unit safety representatives will hold awareness campaigns to keep their personnel well informed on different types of safety hazards.
The goals of the campaign are to reduce preventable mishaps, spread awareness and to use risk management techniques, such as ACT: Assess, Consider and Take appropriate actions, which is used every day. For instance, ACT is used whenever people back out of a parking spot or go to the beach.
"The campaign shows to be working from the previous years it has been in place. The results have been positive and mishaps have been going down," said Goodman.
According to Goodman, supervisors should be getting more involved with their Airmen because they may be doing high risk activities that their supervisors don't know about.
However, everyone is involved in the campaign to promote safe behavior. The Wingman Concept is a great way to take care of one another, added Goodman. "When a fellow Airman is about to do something risky make sure you question whether that person should really be doing that."
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