Accountability key to preventing Travis DUIs

  • Published
  • By Maj. David Bennett
  • 60th Maintenance Operations Squadron commander
TRAVIS AFB, Calif. --  Driving under the influence. DUI. Drunk Driving. It seems these phrases are constantly thrown in our face; be it at commander's calls, emails, roll-calls or marquee postings. You can now add this commander's commentary to the list.

Let me throw some numbers out there for you as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 2,715: The number of crash fatalities in California for 2010. 791: The number of alcohol-impaired fatalities with a blood-alcohol content of .08 or higher for 2010, 29 percent of all fatalities.

For those Airmen who have young children, here's another sobering statistic: of all the nationwide crash fatalities in 2010 among children ages 14 and younger, 17 percent occurred in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. Nationally, in 2010, there were 10,228 fatalities involving a driver with a BAC of .08 or higher, 31 percent of total traffic fatalities. That number is larger than all the military fatalities in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

With Memorial Day weekend upon us and the 4th of July weekend right around the corner, I dug up some more statistics closer to home. During last year's Memorial Day weekend, there were 158 DUI arrests and 1 DUI fatality in the surrounding counties of Solano, Sacramento, Yolo and San Francisco, while the 4th of July weekend saw 135 DUI arrests, according to the AVOID Anti-DUI program.

Despite this constant barrage of DUI awareness, Travis has 17 DUI arrests since January 2012. Should this statistic continue at this rate, Travis will be on track to hit 51 DUI arrests for 2012, almost double the DUI arrests for 2011. There will be many discussions, debates and arguments to find the reasons behind this trend. However, I believe it comes down to one thing: personal accountability.

We as commanders, leaders, supervisors and wingmen can talk DUI awareness until we are blue in the face. Most will listen, but there will be a small percentage that do not listen or do not believe it affects them because they have done it before and did not get caught. This small group of people do their jobs professionally. They take personal responsibility and accountability for their actions. Whether it's ensuring an aircraft is safe to fly or the cargo arrives at its destination on time or a patient is professionally cared for at David Grant USAF Medical Center. Yet, it is this same group of people who forget that accountability extends to their personal life.

All the care and professionalism in the workplace is thrown out the window as soon as they start drinking and get behind the wheel. They are no longer holding themselves accountable for their actions and risk hurting or killing themselves or someone else.

Can you look at yourself in the mirror and live with the fact your lack of accountability cost someone his or her life? The answer should be "no."