January 24, 2008: The U.S. Army and
Marine Corps have set up "combat driving" schools to show troops how to handle
hummers and armored vehicles under combat conditions. In the past, military
drivers were taught to proceed slowly, and in a disciplined manner, when under
fire. The reality of Iraq, and now Afghanistan, quickly saw a new form of
driving develop. Now speed and agility was paramount, in order to avoid ambush
or roadside bombs. This has led to an increase in vehicle accidents, and the
combat driving courses are the response to that. While the younger troops don't
mind hot rodding through a combat zone, the increased speed and freedom of
maneuver led to many more accidents. In Afghanistan, vehicle accidents
accounted for about a third of all U.S.
troops deaths. In Iraq, vehicle accidents are the major cause of non-combat
deaths.
The army has also created computer
driving simulators for training troops. These sims depict the handling
characteristics of armored hummers (which handle quite differently than
unarmored vehicles, because of the extent and placement of the additional
weight.)
The combat driving skills acquired in
Iraq, also translated into a higher accident rate when the troops came home.
This was addressed with many reminders that it was unsafe to drive your
personal SUV or motorcycle the same way you drove a hummer in Iraq.
