Memorial Day kicks off 'Critical Days of Summer'

Memorial Day weekend is a chance for Sailors and Marines to join the rest of the nation in honoring the brave men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. It is also celebrated as the unofficial beginning of summer. The types of incidents that occur during summer may seem unconnected, but statistics show they create a negative trend shared by all services- the comparatively high toll of off-duty and recreational mishaps.

To reverse that trend, the Naval Safety Center (NSC) shed light on some of the most hazardous activities, along with suggestions for staying safe through the summer.

"I encourage everyone to go out and have a good time this summer, doing everything possible to ensure that their good time does not turn tragic with a preventable mishap," said Rear Adm. Arthur Johnson, commander, Naval Safety Center.

With kids out of school, many military families pile into the family car and hit the road for vacations. The added traffic volume increases the risk for accidents. During the 2007 Critical Days, 11 Sailors and nine Marines died in vehicle mishaps. Another three Sailors and 10 Marines died on motorcycles and four Sailors and three Marines perished in off-duty/recreational mishaps. These numbers are down from the summer of 2006, but still unacceptable, according to Johnson.

"In the past five years, the three months with the most off-duty and recreational fatalities are June, July and August," said Ed Hobbs, head of NSC Statistics and Mathematics directorate. "Not surprisingly, these are the three full months of the critical days of summer. Fleet readiness depends on training and education keeping pace with the needs of Sailors and Marines."

The NSC's goal is to give local commands a comprehensive safety campaign focusing on risk management initiatives to prevent the fatalities and injuries associated with the critical days. Key to this campaign is a media kit with posters, presentations and web resources. Digital versions of the contents will be available for download on the Safety Center's Web site, www.safetycenter.navy.mil. Also, the Web site home page will feature informative articles spotlighting a different summertime hazard each week.

Johnson added, "Sailors, Marines and civilian personnel are invaluable to our Navy-Marine Corps team, so our number one priority remains sustaining individual personal readiness, while still enjoying summer."

Visit www.safetycenter.navy.mil/seasonal/criticaldays to download the keys to a successful summer season. For more news from Naval Safety Center, visit www.navy.mil/local/nsc/.