The weekend of July 12-13 marked the midpoint of the 101 Critical Days of Summer. There were seven motorcycle fatalities, two vehicle fatalities and one pedestrian fatality during the first half of the summer and we still have a significant portion of the second half left. These losses are tragic and sobering and remind us that we must double down on our efforts to apply the principles of risk management in all our efforts and mitigate the risks we identify.  

Navy and Marine Corps mishap data additionally shows there have been more than 150 non-fatal, off-duty events resulting in injury to Sailors and Marines within the first 51 days of summer this year.  Off-duty motor vehicle and vehicle-related mishaps have hurt the naval enterprise the most, topping the charts with 81 incidents, including 46 from motorcycle crashes and 30 from cars, trucks or other four-wheel vehicles. The vehicle-related injuries included one bicycle and four pedestrians.  

The next most common category of injuries is sports and recreation. Basketball, softball, running, soccer and skateboarding, among others, accounted for 64% of the 50 sports-related incidents reported. Injuries from falls, including slips and trips, occurred next in frequency, followed by a diverse range of other causes rounding out the reported injuries.  

Below are a few narratives that highlight some of the events we are seeing this summer. There is a focus on motorcycle mishaps as that continues to be the activity where we continue to lose Sailors and Marines globally. 

A servicemember and two passengers left a bar where they had been drinking sometime after midnight. They got in the car to head back to where they were staying. During the drive, the servicemember, who was driving, drove through the perimeter of a section of highway designated as a construction zone. It was reported they were driving erratically within the construction zone before hitting a stationary, industrial heavy-lift vehicle. While the passengers sustained minor injuries, the servicemember died at the scene.  

A servicemember on a motorcycle was racing a car on a highway at more than 90 mph. When approaching a sharp curve at the end of the straightaway, the car slowed while the servicemember continued at a high rate of speed. The servicemember entered the curve and lost control. The rider was separated from the bike, losing their helmet while they slid across the roadway. The Sailor sustained major head and bodily injuries and died a few days later.   

A motorcycle rider was following a vehicle too closely, when the vehicle stopped abruptly to evade a dog in the road. The servicemember avoided a collision by maneuvering off the side of the road where he laid the bike down. He was taken to the emergency room for evaluation, had surgery a couple days later to repair a broken wrist and spent over a month recovering on convalescent leave. The servicemember was wearing full personal protective equipment at the time of the crash which likely saved him from more extensive injuries.  

In these scenarios, a loss of situational awareness, good risk assessment or overconfidence in their own abilities contributed to the outcome. Ultimately, poor decision-making was key in every incident resulting in loss of life. 

“While the number of fatalities is slightly lower than where we were at this point last summer, even one is one too many,” said Rear Adm. Dan “Dino” Martin, commander, Naval Safety Command. “Safety is the result of effective risk management, and it requires everyone to make a committed effort so that we can avoid those self-inflicted wounds and keep our Sailors and Marines in the fight. We need to be deliberate in how we identify and assess everything we do regardless of the activity.”