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Announcements
A
Navy Safety Newsletter.
What you can read
below is what was published in Safetyline -- The Naval Safety Center's
eNewsletter, titled "Special Critical Days of Summer Issue on Bicycle
Safety"
| Articles
of Interest |
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| Links
in the Safety Chain |
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| From
the archives of the Friday Funnies |
Story
#1
- 'Twas a sunny, breezy day in the hills near Sardinia, and a group
of bicyclists pedaled out to enjoy the sights and get some exercise.
It was the kind of thing featured on recruiting videos. Twelve miles
into the jaunt, the group encountered a steep winding road. Two
cyclists started to leave another member, a master chief, a hundred
yards to the rear. Not wanting to be thought a sluggard, he pedaled
harder to catch up, and by the time he roared into the next curve,
he had accelerated to about 30 mph. He
then decelerated even more quickly by skidding into a guard rail
and cart wheeling to the ground, breaking three too many ribs
and one too many shoulder blades in the process. Next: medevac
to Germany, treatment, physical therapy and six weeks convalescing.
He had been
smart enough to wear the right PPE, which gave the doctors less
to do. Just not smart enough to slow down before whirring into
an unfamiliar curve.
For the next
hills-of-Italy, pre-ride planning brief: "Hey, guys, if anyone
lags behind, the leaders will pull off the first chance they get
and wait." Best to fall behind and catch up in a controlled manner
than to fall behind and then fall off the side of the mountain
while racing to catch up.
Story #2
- At a state park in Washington, an aviator discovered (to his
imminent regret) how to combine a recreation with his profession.
He navigated his mountain bike down a small hill at a big pace,
raced up a two-foot mound of dirt, and (here's where the profession
comes in) went airborne and soared over the handlebars. Hardly
worth logging the flight time, since the minimum is six minutes
and this wasn't even six seconds. He managed a three-point landing
(head, right shoulder and right arm). His helmet took the brunt,
cracking into four pieces. The lieutenant's ensuing pain was sufficient
for him to curtail further bike ops, so he hiked back to his car.
The pain was not sufficient to bring him to a doctor, however.
That came several days later, when he got tired of the pain and
stiffness and went to a hospital. X-rays revealed a broken forearm.
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| SafeTips
of the Week |
- Wear a
helmet.
- Wear comfortable,
brightly colored clothing.
- Wear a
reflective vest from dusk until dawn.
- Use lights
and reflectors from dusk until dawn.
- Wear gloves.
- Wear shatterproof
glasses (UV/IR protective).
- Check your
tires for nicks, cuts and wear before each ride, and ensure
the tires are inflated properly.
- Make sure
all the nuts, bolts, and connectors are tight.
- Make sure
your brakes work and the cables are lubed.
- Make sure
the saddle is tight.
- Make sure
the handlebar grips are tight.
- Ride with
a basic tool kit, basic first-aid kit, and some money for a
phone call or a cab ride if you run into trouble.
- Bring
water.
- Never ride
off-road alone.
- Stay off
sidewalks. Slow-moving pedestrians are as dangerous to you as
you are to them.
- When riding
in the street, obey traffic signals and traffic laws.
- Use hand
signals when turning.
- Make eye
contact with drivers, pedestrians and other cyclists to be sure
they see you.
- Walk your
bike across crosswalks.
For a printable
version of these tips, go to: http://safetycenter.navy.mil/safetips/bikesafety-p.htm
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| Quotable
Quotes |
| "When riding
bicycles, there are a couple of laws you have to be mindful of.
Law of gravity--that's important to helo pilots and most of the
rest of us. Then there's the law of unintended consequences, always
something to keep in mind, as in "What are the unintended consequences
of me zipping through this intersection on this yellow light?" But
the one law that should remain uppermost in your consciousness at
all times is the law of gross tonnage." -- Bill Mooberry, former
Executive Director of the Naval Safety Center |
| Soapbox
Suds |
| One story
always comes to mind now when I think about bicycle safety. About
a year ago, I received an entry for our web site's Photo of the
Week from a service member in Yokosuka, Japan. The pictures he
sent showed his helmet, cracked in the spot where his noggin slammed
onto the pavement. While not exciting in themselves, they have
more than earned their "thousand words" worth because of the story
they tell.
In his note,
our fine service member told that while riding his bicycle to
work one day, he was hit by a moped as he turned onto a street.
He flew through the air like Superman on kryptonite and landed
hard on his head and shoulder.
Yeah, it
hurt. But he got up and walked away with nothing more than a sore
shoulder. Why? 'Cause he'd made an investment in his future. Not
in stocks or bonds. Not in precious real estate. Not in rare coins.
No it was something much more valuable ... he bought and wore
a helmet.
I'd like to
emphasize the "wore" part, because I read last week about a 15-year-old
boy who died locally in a moped accident. To answer your question,
no, he was not wearing a helmet. And yes, he did own one.
Are you riding
without the proper gear, including a helmet? Don't you think it's
about time you make an investment in your own future? If you don't,
you may not have a future.
Think about
it ... and if you'd like to see the helmet and see what I had
to say at the time, go to:
http://safetycenter.navy.mil/photo/archive/photo105.htm
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for even more safety information. Feel free to send us your feedback,
ideas, requests, or news. To subscribe to this newsletter, go to
http://safetycenter.navy.mil/list/subscribe-safetyline.htm.
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, go to http://safetycenter.navy.mil/list/unsubscribe-safetyline.htm.
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