R 011100Z FEB 13 ZYB 
FM COMNAVSAFECEN NORFOLK VA
TO ALSAFE
BT
UNCLAS
ALSAFE 009/13
SECINFO/U/-//
MSGID/GENADMIN/COMNAVSAFECEN/00/FEB//
SUBJ/NOT-SO-FUNNIES//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. HERE'S THE LATEST EDITION OF THE NOT-SO-
FUNNIES, MORE STORIES PROVING THAT ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES PEOPLE
GET AWAY WITH IT, AND ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES WHEN THEY DON'T GET
AWAY WITH IT, IT ISN'T TOO PAINFUL OR DESTRUCTIVE,
NEVERTHELESS SOMETIMES THEY DON'T GET AWAY WITH IT AND THEN IT
IS AS TERRIBLE AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.
A. AT ABOUT 0250, AN E-5 LEFT A BAR, CLIMBED IN HIS CAR,
DIDN'T BUCKLE UP, STEERED ONTO A HIGHWAY AND FLOORED IT. HE
TRIED MAKING A HARD LEFT. THE CAR FLIPPED, ROLLED AND EJECTED
HIM. A 2-BY-4 THAT WAS JUTTING FROM THE GROUND PARTIALLY
DECAPITATED HIM. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL WHO ARRIVED AT THE SCENE
COULD STILL SMELL ALCOHOL COMING FROM HIS DEAD BODY.
B. A FEW YEARS AGO, A LIEUTENANT DROVE FIVE HOURS TO PICK UP A
USED MOTORCYCLE THAT HE'D JUST BOUGHT. HE INSPECTED IT AND
THEN DROVE IT TO A SCHOOL PARKING LOT TO GET USED TO HOW IT
HANDLED AND TO PRACTICE SHIFTING GEARS. HE PUT AIR IN THE
TIRES, ATE LUNCH AND HEADED HOME. HIS WIFE FOLLOWED IN THEIR
CAR.
   AFTER ABOUT 100 MILES, HE STOPPED AT A REST AREA TO CHECK
OUT A "SLIGHT PROBLEM" WITH THE MOTORCYCLE'S FRONT END. HE
DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING, SO THEY GOT BACK ON THE ROAD. ACCORDING
TO THE MISHAP REPORT, BASED ON INFORMATION FROM THE SPOUSE, IT
LOOKED LIKE THE LIEUTENANT WAS "HAVING A PROBLEM, FIGHTING
WITH THE FRONT END." HE LOST CONTROL AND WRECKED. HE DIED AT A
HOSPITAL FROM INTERNAL INJURIES.
   THE MISHAP REPORT NOTED A LACK OF EVIDENCE AS TO A
MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION, BUT POINTED OUT THAT THE LIEUTENANT
HAD RIDDEN MOTORCYCLES ON AND OFF FOR MANY YEARS (BUT IT HAD
BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE HIS MOST RECENT RIDE). HE HAD A VALID
MOTORCYCLE LICENSE. ONE DAY EARLIER, HE HAD CHECKED ABOUT
REQUIREMENTS FOR ATTENDING THE BASIC RIDER COURSE.
   PLENTY OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ON THIS ONE. WHY DIDN'T HE
HAVE A QUALIFIED MECHANIC CHECK OUT THE MOTORCYCLE? IF HE HAD
TOLD HIS CHAIN OF COMMAND, WOULD SOMEONE HAVE ADVISED HIM TO
RENT A TRAILER FOR THE BIKE? WHY DIDN'T HE CALL A TOW TRUCK
FROM THE REST AREA WHEN HE RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM? WHY WOULD
HE LOSE CONTROL ON A CLEAR, DRY ROAD?
C. AT A STATE PARK IN THE MIDWEST, A FEMALE E-4 FROM AN
AIRCRAFT CARRIER WAS RIDING AN ATV. USUALLY WHEN WE MENTION
THESE VEHICLES IN THE SUMMARY OF MISHAPS, IT IS BECAUSE AN
ENTHUSIASTIC AND OPTIMISTIC RIDER FAILS TO SEE THE NEED FOR
ANY RECON, FINDS OUT THAT "TERRAIN" DOESN'T INCLUDE HUGE,
UNSEEN DROP-OFFS, PLANTS THE ATV'S NOSE, AND ENDS UP WITH A
FACEFUL OF DIRT AND/OR SHRUBBERY. THEY USUALLY AREN'T FATAL.
   THIS MISHAP REPORT GIVES ALMOST NO DETAIL, OTHER THAN THAT
THE ATV HAD AN INSTALLED LAP BELT, THAT WEARING THIS SAFETY
DEVICE WAS REQUIRED, AND THAT SHE WASN'T WEARING IT. THE ATV
"MAY HAVE FLIPPED" AND EJECTED HER, THE REPORT SAID. THE
RESULT: "MULTIPLE TRAUMATIC INJURIES TO BONES, NERVES, SPINAL
CORD." HER DEAD BODY WAS FOUND AT THE SCENE.
D. WE'VE BEEN HAMMERING AWAY AT DISTRACTED DRIVING FOR A LONG
TIME. AS TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED (I GUESS I SHOULD SAY
"IMPROVED," BUT THERE'S ALWAYS A DOWNSIDE, ISN'T THERE?), WE
ADDED "DISTRACTED WHILE TALKING ON A CELL PHONE" AND
"DISTRACTED WHILE TEXTING." LATELY WE'VE HAD A FEW "DISTRACTED
WHILE WALKING." HERE'S THE LATEST.
   IN CALIFORNIA, AN E-3 CONSTRUCTION ELECTRICIAN WAS GOING TO
BUY SNACKS, USING HIS SKATEBOARD AS HIS MODE OF TRANSPORT. HIS
WIFE CALLED WHILE HE WAS EN ROUTE. HE ANSWERED THE PHONE, AND
THEN, NO DOUBT DISTRACTED, HE CAME TO AN UNEVEN PART OF THE
SIDEWALK. HE LOST HIS BALANCE AND FELL, SPREAD-EAGLED ONTO THE
CURB. THE RESULTING PAIN WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO MAKE HIM CRAWL
BACK HOME.
   A FRIEND DROVE HIM TO A HOSPITAL, WHERE HE WAS TREATED FOR
MINOR SCRAPES ON HIS LOWER BACK, INTERNAL BLEEDING IN GENITAL
AREA, AND A LACERATED URETHRA. HE WAS EXPECTED TO MAKE A FULL
RECOVERY, BUT SPENT THREE DAYS IN A HOSPITAL, 26 DAYS AWAY
FROM WORK, AND 19 DAYS ON LIGHT DUTY.
2. THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT BAD DECISIONS LEAD TO BAD
RESULTS-NOT ALWAYS, BUT DON'T LET THAT LULL YOU. SEE YOU NEXT
WEEK.//