The Golden Rule of Risk Management

Most people are familiar with the “Golden Rule” of treating people as you would like to be treated. This rule is considered the most essential basis for human rights. What if there was a golden rule for risk management? What if there were a principle that if followed, would reduce risk significantly and make for a much safer sports and recreation environment? I propose that the golden rule of risk management should be, “watch where you’re going.”

This may seem simplistic, but if you think about it, a lot of accidents can be prevented if this rule is adhered to. Years ago, I decided that I would decrease my risk of car accidents if I never moved my car forward (or backward) unless I was looking in the direction that I was headed. Most car accidents occur when people are not paying attention---they are cited by police officers for being inattentive to their driving.

Many accidents by athletes or people that attend sporting events or frequent sports and recreation facilities could avoid accidents if they were watching where they were walking or running. Think of how many slips, falls and trips could be avoided with some attention paid to the ground. I’ve noticed in Hawaii that pedestrians here have a tendency to walk into the road or through a parking lot without looking both ways before they cross the street. Whenever, I hear of a car vs. pedestrian accident, I often wonder if it could have been avoided if the pedestrian actually looked to see if a car was coming. I also wonder how many sports and recreation accidents could be avoided if participants simply looked to see if another person or participant was coming their way. Cyclists, runners, skiers, skateboarders, and golfers are participants that could avoid injury by looking both ways before proceeding. Even gymnasts, ice skaters and baseball players would benefit by paying more attention to their environment before proceeding forward.

Safety and risk management does not have to be complicated. Emphasizing simple principles like watching where you are going will go a long way towards avoiding accidents and injuries.