Safety officials share Critical Days of Summer message Published June 22, 2012 By Chief Master Sgt. Terry Bronson 161st Air Refueling Wing Safety Office PHOENIX SKY HARBOR AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE -- Editor's Note: The time period from May 25 through Sept. 4 has been designated as the Air Force Safety Center's "Critical Days of Summer" safety campaign. Since Fiscal Year 2002, the Air Force has experienced 218 fatalities during the Critical Days of Summer. More than 200 of the fatalities occurred off-duty and 17 were on duty. Our vision this year is to ensure all of our Airmen have zero preventable fatal mishaps and an injury-free summer. Since school is out for summer, travel plans for the season must always include planning and risk management. Before you hit the road, consider the long distance driving risks as well as how you pack your car. The risk management steps - ABCDD - are a great tool to use. A - Assess the situation: Identify and assess the hazards associated with a particular mission or activity. B - Balance Controls: Consider all available controls (resources) available to ensure success or mitigate identified hazards. C - Communicate: Communicate with leadership or others to discuss problems, intentions and possible alternatives. In individual situations, carefully consider personal actions before deciding upon and implementing a final course of action. D - Decide and Debrief: Make the decision to continue, modify or abandon the mission or activity based upon real-life circumstances and conditions. Provide feedback on what worked and what did not work to ensure important lessons learned are passed onto others; your experience can save lives! The TRiPS Planning Tool on the Air Force Portal will also help mitigate many hazards associated with your vacation. TRiPS is an online, automated driving risk-assessment tool, hosted by the Army Combat Readiness Center for the Air Force. You use it before going on leave, especially when driving outside command travel limits. The system helps your supervisor recognize, and avoid, common hazards everyone faces on the highway: fatigue, not buckling up, speed and distractions. A typical TRiPS session takes less than 10 minutes. You input information about your travel plans and driving habits and TRiPS presents your overall risk assessment, a map of your route, links to state highway information and weather conditions, examples of mishaps, and offers you and your supervisor suggestions to reduce that risk. Other resources: Department of Transportation Road Trip Planner Toolbox