Saber driving course does its part to keep Airmen safe

Published Jan. 22, 2009
By Staff Sgt. Logan Tuttle
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs

SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Everything progressed smoothly as I turn around the markers on the blacktop course until the instructor hit a dreaded switch, unlocking the shopping cart-like wheels in the rear of the vehicle. As the car spun like a top toward the grass, I could hear grunts of displeasure, uneasy laughs and from what I could tell, what sounded like someone's lunch threatening to come back up. I had to regain control of the vehicle fast, or things were about to get very messy. As I found a tree in the distance to focus on, my foot took pressure off the gas, and gently applied the brake. I turned the wheel gingerly toward where the back end of the vehicle was turning. Success! I remained facing the trees, my vehicle still firmly planted on the road. If lives weren't saved, I know stomachs were.

This is one example of a dangerous situation that was avoided by regaining control of the vehicle. Since the Saber Driving Course started three years ago, the safety office said one out of several hundred students has been involved in an accident, and the one that did occur was minor.

"The course teaches awareness to how cars react, how to detect when a skid is coming, and what to do when something goes wrong," said Master Sgt. Sheldon Smith, a traffic safety monitor with the 52nd Fighter Wing Safety Office.

Sergeant Smith says that his own driving has changed since he began teaching the course, and that he's learned where and when to slow down around corners.

The course is open to anyone with a U.S. Army in Europe license -- more commonly called a USAREUR license -- to include dependants and is mandatory for first-term Airmen and Airmen under the age of 27. Following a brief classroom portion, the students are brought out to the hands-on portion to drive the vehicle - accurately called the "Skid Monster" -- around various obstacles designed to simulate typical conditions in which a driver may lose control of a vehicle.

"It prepares you for the unexpected," said Airman 1st Class James Quigley, an aircraft egress technician with the 52nd Component Maintenance Squadron and another student of the course.

According to the safety office, the 52nd Fighter Wing had 580 accidents in 2008. One hundred and sixty of them were major vehicle accidents, and 420 were minor accidents. The two most common reasons for these were driving too fast for the conditions, and inattentive driving.

For Spangdahlem drivers, Sergeant Smith says the part of the course he feels is most beneficial is learning how to keep the vehicle on the road, especially for the amount of accidents that occur around the area.

Some of the techniques taught in order to keep control of your vehicle included "targeting," or picking a spot in the center of the road as far down as possible where you intend to drive. This can help drivers remain in the spot they want to, even after losing control without leaving the road. Instructors also showed students how to deal with the apex - or center - of a turn, which can be the most dangerous part of the turn itself, said Sergeant Smith.

"At first I didn't think the course was going to be any good," said Airman 1st Class Jonathan Bucko, a weapons maintainer with the 52nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron. "It was actually pretty good, and very informative."