Returning Veterans at Risk for Crashes

If you're newly back from Iraq or Afghanistan, it's possible that you're different behind the wheel of a car now than before you left. If that's the case, you're not alone. According to a Department of Defense report to Congress, vehicle crashes are the largest cause of deaths among veterans. As reported in a recent study, within the first 30 days home, 25 percent of veterans had gone through stop signs, 49 percent were anxious when approached quickly by another vehicle, 31 percent experienced anxiety when there was something by the side of the road and 20 percent were anxious when the situation was normal. Here are some questions to ask yourself: Have you scared anybody with your driving or been told you drive dangerously? If you're driving in the middle of the road to avoid the edges, weaving in traffic or making sudden changes, going through stop signs or not yielding to other drivers, or driving over the speed limit, then your driving hasn't calmed down yet. How about risky stuff like not using a seatbelt, or driving after drinking, or owning a fast car? And let's be frank: There could be an adrenaline component there too. It could take up to 12 months before driving behaviors return to normal. In the meantime, you don't want to put yourself and others at risk. You're home now. The Department of Veterans Affairs has a program called the Safe Driving Initiative, which is designed to help returning veterans understand why their driving behavior is different and to give tips about how to calm down while driving. Look at www.safedriving.va.gov. Check Richard Petty's video. Take a look at a brochure called, "Shifting Gears: Soldiers Returning to Driving on the Homefront" for veterans and families. Go online to www.armymedicine.army.mil/prr/post_combat.html Welcome home. Now stay safe.