Security forces enforce lower speed limits in construction zones

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Julius Delos Reyes
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  With the ongoing runway construction, the 95th Security Forces Squadron is enforcing lower speed limits in construction zones -- particularly on FitzGerald Boulevard. 

The 95th SFS is focusing on these zones because of the increasing volume of construction vehicles passing through. 

The speed limits currently range from 35 to 45 mph, said Staff Sgt. Melanie Slagle, 95th SFS police services noncommissioned officer. Speed limit development is a joint activity of the 95th Civil Engineering and Transportation Directorate traffic engineers and 95th SFS reports and analysis. 

"We need to control the speed and enforce it for safety reasons," said Maj. Steve Heffington, 95th SFS commander. "If we don't do it, somebody is going to get hurt, or worse, get killed." 

As in any construction zone, multiple vehicles that are not normally on the road, such as large construction vehicles, haul a lot of weight, Major Heffington said. These vehicles work in and out of the traffic, and they are also slower. 

The speed limit is lowered in construction areas to ensure safety for construction crew personnel and passing motorists, Sergeant Slagle said. 

The number of construction vehicles going through the construction zones has recently gone up to 300 a day, Major Heffington said. This number would present a hazard if people were not paying attention to them. 

For the last six months, 95th SFS patrolmen have cited about 400 driver for traffic violations. Fifty percent of those are violations in the construction zones, he said. 

"One of the things people don't understand is we write federal tickets," he said. "(For civilians), their tickets don't just go to the commander; they are actually federal tickets just like the (California Highway Patrol) or other law enforcement organizations in California. These tickets go to magistrate court as well as to their driving records." 

On-base personnel also have the possibility of losing their driving privileges, Major Heffington said. This affects the people's ability to live and work. 

"Obey the law; driving the speed limit is your best bet for safety," Major Heffington said. "If you are speeding, you are going to get caught. It is only a matter of time."