The Red Bulls

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – Vehicle accidents happen. They can occur on any roadway with any vehicle, so it should come as no surprise that tactical vehicles on Iraqi roads are no different. But what can Soldiers do to avoid accidents?

The most important thing a Soldier can do, according to Maj. Juan Jose Perez, Deputy Director, Multi-National Division – South safety office, is to ensure leaders are doing their jobs when it comes to assessing situations and ensuring their Soldiers are making smart decisions.

 “The person who is in charge of the convoy needs to be aware of the possible hazards that may arise while on the mission,” he said. “They also need to ensure the drivers are trained properly on the vehicles they will be operating.”

 According to a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle survival card, almost 50 percent of MRAP accidents are rollovers. There are three causes of rollovers: those caused by maneuvers of the driver, a vehicle falling due to the road collapsing and those caused by sudden impact.

 “MRAPs are very top heavy,” Perez said. “So drivers need to be cautious of everything, from potholes to even rocks on the road. Terrain and weather conditions are the biggest factors that play into rollovers.”

 To avoid rollovers, Perez says, Soldiers need to drive at safe speeds, allowing them sufficient time to react to a sudden obstacle. This alone can help reduce the number of rollovers caused by quick maneuvers from the driver as well as sudden impacts.

 The survival card also says when driving on roads bordering canals, the driver should remain no less than five feet from the edge of the road to lessen the chances of the ground giving way. The steeper the embankment, the more prone it will be to collapsing.

 In addition to rollovers, other accidents that can occur when operating the MRAP are personal injury and traffic accidents.

 To avoid personal injury, the survival card suggests personnel always use three points of contact when on top of the vehicle to reduce the chances of falling and to use caution when opening the doors, ramps, hood and hatches. It also suggests parking on a level surface to keep doors from slamming shut on their own.

 Traffic accidents can be avoided by driving defensively and expecting the unexpected. The card says drivers should drive at speeds appropriate to conditions and never follow too closely.

There has also been one incident of a tire catching fire on an MRAP, according to the MND-S safety office.  The fire has been attributed to excessive heat from operating on run flats, a type of tire containing an extra lining within the tire that self-seals in the event of a small puncture.

 To help prevent this from occurring again, the safety office said while driving on a run flat the speed of the vehicle should not exceed 30 mph and 20 mph in the event of two flat rear tires. Also, the distance traveled should not exceed 30 miles.

 “Run flat operation may cause the tread to separate from the tire and/or wheel,” the safety office said. “If abnormal handling is experienced or noise such as flapping or pounding around the wheel well occurs, the tread needs to be cut away from the wheel before continuing operation.”

A wheel that has been run flat must be replaced and inspected by unit maintenance as soon as possible before reuse, according to the safety office.

 All in all, most accidents can be avoided if the operator is properly trained and leaders are watching for safety violations and correcting them, Perez said.

 Everyone plays a role when it comes to preventing an accident, but it starts with you, he said.

 “It doesn’t matter if you are military or civilian, everyone is responsible for everyone else’s safety,” Perez said. “Serve the Soldier and protect the force by making a safe environment for everyone.”