Peterson security forces clamp down on base speeding

  • Published
  • 21st Security Forces Squadron
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. --  Patrolmen from the 21st Security Forces Squadron have stepped-up their random traffic enforcement on base and since Jan. 1 have issued nearly 50 traffic citations for excessive speed.

According to Master Sgt. Keith Lundberg, 21st SFS noncommissioned officer in-charge of police services, there is one particular base "hot spot" that seems to attract speeders.

"One area having the most drivers cited was on Stewart Avenue as the street passes through the new Tierra Vista family housing area," he said. "As drivers travel from the Peterson East section of the base, the speed limit reduces from 40 mph to 30 mph."

American Automobile Association statistics show that that approximately 90 percent of crashes could be avoided if drivers had one more second to react. Furthermore, according to the National Safety Council, it is estimated that speed-related crashes cost the nation more than $40 billion annually. This is the equivalent of $110.7 million per day or $4.6 million per hour in economic loss, not to mention the needless loss of human lives.

Drivers can take several measures to enhance their safety, Sergeant Lundberg said.

Chief among them are always wear a seat belt, don't text or talk on a cell phone while driving, adjust your speed to the road conditions, give at least two seconds between your vehicle and the vehicle traveling in front and at least four seconds between your vehicle and the vehicle traveling in front during inclement weather, he said.

Air Force Instruction 31-204, Space Wing Supplement 1, states that if a vehicle operator accumulates 12 or more traffic points in a 12-month period or 18 points in a consecutive 24-month period, they are subject to having their installation driving privileges suspended or revoked by the installation commander. And, though these privileges can be returned after a certain amount of time, there could be more permanent repercussions for not following traffic laws.

"Motor vehicle crashes kill more people in the Air Force than any other accidental cause," said Sergeant Lundberg. "Remember, your life is important - you are the Air Force's most valuable asset."

For more information, contact 21st SFS Police Services at 556-3484 or the Peterson Installation Control Center at 556-4000.