Service members join local authorities for winter road safety

  • Published
  • By Gina Randall
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The roads in the U.K. used by Team Mildenhall members are very different to what they may be used to back home in the U.S., and as winter approaches, the season can bring extra road hazards.

The roads surrounding base may be narrow, muddy and twisty, with wildlife and farm machinery sharing the road.

These dangers are all too familiar to the 100th Air Refueling Wing Safety Office. In a joint effort, the safety office teamed up with the Suffolk Road Safety office Dec. 2, 2014, to help educate Team Mildenhall on the dangers drivers face as they drive to and from work.

"Personal-owned vehicle safety is one of our biggest concerns on this base. We wanted to educate new drivers and the younger drivers," explained Master Sgt. Dominic Cilia, 100th ARW Ground Safety superintendent from Brooklyn, New York.

The event gave people the chance to use a Batak board reaction tester three consecutive times. The tester has pads that light up in no particular order and caused the user to react quickly to push the pads as they lit up. The first time was for familiarization. The second time participants used the board to show that reaction time is normally faster as they grow in confidence.  The third time a member of the road safety office asked the user questions while pushing the pads to simulate a hands-free call. The results typically show reaction times are far slower on the third try which demonstrates how even using hands free headsets can impair a road users ability to react to their surroundings.

"We have roundabouts here and [Americans] particularly motorcyclists, aren't used to them, so they haven't necessarily got the right skills for cornering on these particular roads," said Ian Watson, Suffolk County Council senior road safety officer for education from Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

The organization hopes to make people think about their loved ones while navigating the roads.

"Here you have brave people, and sometimes that bravery carries out onto the road. So people need to make their loved ones think of the consequences of dangerous driving," Watson said. "We are keen to work with families, because a lot of (the) time, to get influence on the people you need to go through those close to them."

A computer-based program allowed drivers to simulate driving a car while everyday road situations were presented to them. For example, a cell phone message would pop up on the screen. The drivers often automatically took their eyes off the road to glance at the message. Taking their eyes off the road showed how they couldn't react to hazards on the road in front of them. Emergency stops were also tested.

Watson hopes that with continued focus -- and the help of others considering the consequences -- Team Mildenhall will stay safe on the roads this winter.

For more information on road safety, contact the ground safety office at DSN 238-2255 or commercial at 01638 542255. For further information on local traffic safety campaigns, visit: www.suffolkroadsafe.net.