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When you fall, and you will fall, fall backward and
not forward whenever possible. At speeds above 25
mph, you should somersault or roll with the fall. Tuck
your head beneath your arms and roll into a ball. Rolling
not only controls the fall but blunts the impact. Don’t
tense up and stiffen. At lower speeds, lean to the side or
back before you release the towline. When you release
the towline, you will fall in the direction of the lean. You
will hit with a thud, rather than a splash. Forget about
your skis. You can retrieve them easily—they float,
remember?
Hunting
The misuse of small arms has resulted in many
accidents causing serious and fatal injuries to Navy
personnel. Between 1987 and 1992, eight Navy men and
women died in hunting and fishing mishaps. Ninety-one
were injured in small arms accidents alone, most with
guns they thought were unloaded. Firearms accidents
kill as many females as males. The highest rate is in the
15- to 24-year age group.
Between one-fourth and one-third of all fatal,
accidental shootings occur in connection with hunting
trips. Annual studies of hunting accidents, both fatal and
nonfatal, made by the National Rifle Association have
shown firearm hunting accidents both by “intentional
discharge” and “accidental discharge.” The principal
causes of accidents by intentional discharge have been
as follows:
Victim moved into line of fire without warning.
Victim shot by excited hunter firing quickly at
game.
Victim unseen by shooter.
Victim mistaken for game.
The principal causes of casualties occurring through
the accidental discharge of the gun have included the
following:
Stumbling or falling while carrying gun
Catching trigger of gun in brush
Clubbing game or cover with gun
Bumping or jolting the gun while removing it
from vehicle or boat
Unwittingly letting gun fall from an insecure rest
Crossing a fence
Horseplaying with a gun thought to be unloaded
Loading and unloading gun
Before you go hunting, you should learn the safe use
of firearms from a competent instructor. The instruction
should take place on a well-protected range. Ex-
perienced adults should accompany young people
learning to shoot and coach them in firearm safety. You
should never try backyard target shooting. Practice
basement or other indoor shooting only if you have
constructed a satisfactory backstop. Avoid shooting at
hard, horizontal surfaces because of the danger of a
ricochet. If you find yourself shooting over water,
exercise extreme caution to avoid ricochets.
As a hunter, you must concern yourself more about
safety than about the possibility of your missing a
chance at your game. Your attitude in these matters is
the real difference between being a safe or unsafe hunter.
Regardless of how much hunters know or how great
their skill and experience, if they do not practice safety,
they are unsafe hunters.
BICYCLING
Millions of people have found that biking is
economical, healthy, and a great way for the entire
family to take part in wholesome recreation. However,
most of the time you will be sharing the road with
vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Since a bicyclist is the
most vulnerable participant in the highway system,
observing safety rules is in your own best interest. That
enables you to protect yourself against the carelessness
of others.
The impact of a rider’s head against a sidewalk from
a 10-speed bike going 25 mph is as great as that of a
rider thrown from a motorcycle at the same speed, From
1989 to 1992, more than 500 sailors were seriously
injured or killed in bicycle accidents. More than 150 of
those sailors suffered head injuries, 10 while wearing
helmets. Helmets won’t prevent head injuries in every
bike accident, but they do make a difference in the
severity of those injuries. You can protect yourself from
serious injury by wearing an American National
Standards Institute (ANSI) or a Snell Memorial
Foundation approved bicycle safety helmet. In addition,
you can protect yourself by complying with
OPNAVINST 5100.25A, which covers the Navy
Recreation, Athletics, and Home Safety Program. This
instruction requires all recreational bicyclists operating
on government property to wear light-colored clothing
and to wear reflective clothing during reduced visibility
conditions.
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