Pedestrian safety is everyone’s responsibility

  • Published
  • By Mark Wyatt
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. – Members of the 66th Air Base Group Safety Office are reminding personnel here of the policy on use of headphones and other listening devices while exercising outdoors.

According to Air Force Instruction 91-207, which outlines the Traffic Safety Program at Air Force installations, the use of any portable listening device while on base roadways is prohibited.

“Portable headphones, earphones, cellular phones or other listening devices while walking, jogging, running, bicycling, driving, skating or skateboarding on Hanscom roadways is not allowed,” said Galen Williams, 66th Air Base Group Safety Office director. “These devices distract individuals from hearing emergency signals, alarms, base giant voice announcements and vehicles.”

While prohibited on roadways, Williams notes that personnel are able to use them in other areas at Hanscom.

"Personnel walking or jogging on the sidewalk, base track or other areas on the installation that are not specifically designed for vehicle travel or parking may use portable listening devices,” he said. “However, when approaching an intersection, personnel must remove them when crossing streets in marked crosswalks.”

In the most recent national data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Injury Center, more than 5,300 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in the United States in 2015. In the same year, nearly 129,000 pedestrians were treated in emergency rooms for non-fatal crash-related injuries.

In addition to the policy on listening devices at Hanscom, base safety officials also highlighted other basic rules of the road.

“Pedestrians in marked crosswalks have the right of way,” Williams said. “Motor vehicles must yield to pedestrians who have entered a crosswalk.”

He added that pedestrians should not suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle.

“We have a small base with a lot of foot traffic during the day, so we want to ensure that vehicle operators are paying attention at crosswalks,” he said.

With school ending for the summer, 66th Security Forces Squadron officials remind personnel that exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 miles per hour in base housing may result in a 30-day suspension of driving privileges.

The speed limit in housing is 15 miles per hour, while the speed limit in most areas outside of base housing is 25 miles per hour.

The policy comes from a July 2014 local supplement to Air Force Manual 31-116, Hanscom Motor Vehicle Traffic Supervision.

“Driving privilege suspensions or revocations may occur for a host of offenses or accumulation of points on an individual’s driving record,” said Capt. Christopher McNamee, 66 SFS operations officer.

Safety officials note that people can prevent most accidents by remaining aware of what is happening around them.

“The most important tip to avoid injury is for vehicle operators and pedestrians to pay close attention to their surroundings and remain alert,” Williams said. “Doing so will ensure we all stay safe this summer.”

For further information on traffic safety, visit the safety SharePoint site at https://cs3.eis.af.mil/sites/24169/default.aspx.  

For further information on the local supplement to AFM 31-116, call 66 SFS at 781-225-5626.