Vance motorists impacted by new driving regulation

  • Published
  • By Capt. Tony Wickman
  • Public Affairs
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  Team Vance motorists will soon face tickets and monetary fines if they drive their vehicles on base while using a cell phone without a hands-free device.
The 71st Security Forces Squadron is stopping motorists and informing them of the new Joint Traffic Regulation taking effect Feb. 27 authorizing base law enforcement to issue citations to people for non-hands free cell phone use while driving.
"From now until Feb. 27, drivers who are stopped for using cell phones without a hands-free device will be issued a warning and educated on the upcoming policy change," said Master Sgt. Randy Hessley, 71st SFS operations superintendent. "After the 27th, drivers can be pulled over and ticketed for violating the policy."
The reason for the new policy is in a word ... safety.
More accidents are being attributed to talking on phones and loss of situational awareness the sergeant said. The new policy is expected to help lower those numbers.
"The No. 1 issue for the policy change is safety," said Maj. Robert Rossi, 71st SFS commander. "At Vance, anything that distracts a driver from safely operating a vehicle is a concern. I'm less interested in the ticket and more interested in ensuring people are safe when they are behind the wheel of a car."
According to the Sergeant Hessley, drivers can face stiff penalties for breaking the new regulation.
"If a military person is pulled over and given a (Department of Defense Form) 1408 ticket, they can have three points assessed against their driving record. Twelve points in a year can lead to a loss of driving privileges on base," he said. "For civilians, they can be issued a (DD Form) 1805 for federal magistrate court that has a payable fine."
For Col. Bryan Benson, 71st Flying Training Wing commander, this is an important safety issue for Vance people who drive personal or government vehicles on and off base.
"It's imperative Team Vance members use good judgment when driving, especially when it comes to using a cell phone. If you need to use the phone, then use a hands-free device or pull off the road to talk," the colonel said. "Failure to do so places our people in jeopardy so I've asked our security forces to help enforce the new
policy."
According to Sergeant Hessley, the best things to do to avoid a ticket is to use a hands-free device if motorists have to talk on the phone, let the phone ring and check it later when it is safe to do so or pull over to the side of the road and talk.
"Using a hands-free device, pulling over to the side of the road or not answering the phone means a greater attention to detail for drivers and fewer accidents," Hessley said.