Let’s get straight to the point: one sailor and one Marine died during Labor Day weekend 2010, and 52 sailors and Marines were injured, some of them seriously, in motor vehicle mishaps or off-duty activities, according to the Naval Safety Center. Most, the Safety Center says, were completely preventable had proper risk management practices been followed.
This annual three-day weekend begs for some party time. In its 2011 Labor Day Weekend Briefing Points, the Safety Center asks sailors and Marines to remember that if alcohol is on the menu — there won’t be many parties where it’s not, right? — that “moderation and responsibility are keys to success.” If you or someone you know has one too many, a cab only costs a few bucks. That’s a lot less costly than what getting behind the wheel could cost: a DUI ticket, jail time, a fine, loss of driving privileges — or, in the extreme, injury or death.
The Safety Center also points out that according to statistics, alcohol is often a contributing factor in sexual assaults. “Alcohol is no excuse for criminal behavior and everyone is expected to manage the risk to avoid being a victim or a perpetrator,” the center says. The center also asks sailors and Marines who see trouble brewing or witness inappropriate conduct toward another person to “take action, get assistance, get involved to prevent an assault!”
