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4 High Desert Warrior www.aerotechnews.com/ntcfortirwin
February 5, 2016

Safety

Arrive safe by mitigating risks when driving

Submitted by Kim Garcia

USAG Safety U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center image
Text messaging requires visual, manual, and cognitive attention from the driver making it the most alarming distraction.
Consider these factors before you get behind the wheel to
mitigate risk and arrive safe at your destination: Distractions: Distracted driving is the practice of driving a grooming, reading - including maps, using a navigation system,
motor vehicle while engaged in another activity, typically one watching a video, and adjusting a radio, CD player, or MP3 player.
Environment: The Scripps Howard News Service has com- that involves the use of a cell phone or other electronic device.
piled a list of the most dangerous roads in the country. You may The AAA states that distracted driving accounts for 25 to 50 However, because text messaging requires visual, manual,
be surprised to know that almost half of them are located near percent of all accidents (from https://www.aaafoundation.org/). and cognitive attention from the driver, it is by far the most
Fort Irwin. These dangerous highways may be hampered not alarming distraction.
just by a defective design and construction, but also by negligent Some common driving distractions include: texting, using a cell
and risky driving behaviors that increase the risk of an accident. phone or smartphone, eating and drinking, talking to passengers, Don’t let yourself get distracted while driving. Keep your mind on
Fort Irwin Road has many of the same challenges. your driving; keep your eyes on the road, and your hands on the wheel!

Speed: Old Fort Irwin Road’s speed limit is 55 miles per hour.
Fort Irwin Road is engineered to be driven at 65 MPH. With
the recent increase from 55 to 65, there is simply no excuse for
negligence in this area. Speeding involves many factors includ-
ing attitude, values, maturity, vehicle performance and roadway
characteristics. Fort Irwin Road offers a novel scenario to increase
speed, but at what cost? Driving from Fort Irwin to Barstow at 75
MPH verses 65 MPH will increase your arrival time by about five
minutes. Driving 10 MPH over the posted speed greatly decreases
your reaction time to any hazard and places you at increased risk
for accidents. Five minutes of time is not worth your life.

Defensive Driving: Roadways can be chaotic places. There are
more stressed out, distracted, inattentive and fatigued drivers now
than ever before. Defensive driving includes reading and evaluat-
ing traffic patterns and making predictions as to how potential
hazards will affect you and other motorists. Your ability to assess
and react to hazards is critical to your safety, the safety of your
passengers and other drivers. Daily commutes on Fort Irwin Road
become monotonous and may create complacency. Continuously
stay alert and be prepared to react to traffic hazards.

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