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Driving in Kosovo is arguably the most hazardous event KFOR soldiers face on a daily basis . Even before KFOR 17 officially took over MNBG-E on June 1 , members from its formation had already been involved in minor traffic accidents . Although the damage was negligible and no one was injured , KFOR 17 now has first-hand experience with local traffic accidents .
Safety
Coming from a different driving culture , one could easily think that local drivers are overly aggressive and that they take too many risks . Yes , it ’ s easy to think that . Or is it that the local drivers have just come to expect that their fellow drivers are just as aggressive as they are ? Having recently taken over , KFOR 17 faces a steep learning curve when it comes to predicting what often times is unpredictable driving behavior .
As I was working towards my certification as a safety professional , I remember taking a course on human behavior . On the surface , behavior and safety may not appear to go hand-in-hand , but I soon found out that there is a strong link between the two . A culture can be defined by its beliefs , it values , and its norms . Safety is linked into this in the form of the outputs , or actions , of a culture . The manner of driving by the local population is influenced by their culture . One of those outputs , or actions , is identified with their more aggressive driving style .
So what is the soldier of KFOR 17 to do ? If you try and drive like the locals , you might find yourself driving well out of your comfort zone . If you become an overly defensive driver , then you could potentially find yourself run off the road . The best answer I can come up with is to keep your head on a swivel and maintain a defensive driving posture while being able to conjure up a hint of aggressiveness when it ’ s needed .
All of the safety training I ’ ve taken has taught me to eliminate the risk . If the risk could not be eliminated , then an engineering solution should be utilized to all but eliminate the risk . If an engineering approach wasn ’ t feasible , then administrative measures and personal protective equipment would be used to mitigate the risk . In the last two approaches , the risk still remains and you are merely attempting to minimize your personal contact with the hazard while safeguarding yourself with protective equipment . These are also the two methods KFOR 17 is left with to protect our soldiers from the hazards of driving .
While driving in Kosovo is probably one of the riskiest missions most soldiers will encounter , KFOR 17 will adapt to the conditions in time . In recent weeks , the accident rate has already started to taper off , but we must stay resilient to help keep this rate in decline .
When placed in a traffic-hazard environment , you ’ ll learn quickly what works well … or not . In retrospect , the local driving tactic reminds me of a saying that was drilled to me as a young , prospective Jumpmaster , “ Slow is smooth and smooth is fast .” The manner in which some of these drivers maneuver their vehicles is somewhat impressive but dangerous nonetheless . Given a choice , I ’ ll gladly add a few extra minutes to my travel time so that I can arrive at my destination accident free .
MNBG-E Safety Manger Edson de Leon
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