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375th SFS reminds Team Scott of base, Illinois driving laws

  • Published
  • By Scott Beckman
  • 375th Security Forces Squadron
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Thanks to Team Scott members' compliance with traffic laws, traffic citations have decreased this year as compared to last year.

However, despite the decline in traffic citations, there are still three areas where the members of 375th Security Forces Squadron see room for improvement: speeding, front license plates and parking.

It should come as no surprise that speeding is the number one traffic citation given at Scott. In fact, speeding citations constitute 76 percent of all traffic citations.

Considering construction as well as safety concerns, several roadways have had their speed limit decreased to 20 mph. For example, drivers need look no further than W. Winters St. to see an increase in pedestrian traffic making reduction in the speed limit necessary. However, there are still drivers who contest the speed limit in that area, even though the speed limit has been reduced for more than two years.

Second only to speeding, are citations for failure to display the front license plate on a vehicle. These citations make up 13 percent of total citations at Scott with a total of 38 so far this year as compared to 111 license plate citations in 2009. Though the numbers have significantly decreased, drivers need to be aware that if a vehicle is licensed in the State of Illinois, they must display a front license plate (ILCS 625, 5/3-413(b)).

Failure to mount the required front plate is probable cause for patrols to stop drivers and cite them for the violation.

The last area of concern is parking. Parking on Scott can be tough, especially near The Exchange and Commissary between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. on duty days.

To help mitigate parking issues, the 375th SFS has trained parking wardens on the proper procedures to monitor the parking standards for more than 30 facilities on base. These parking wardens are an extension of the 375th SFS and their citations are equivalent to what is written by a patrol. They also should be treated with the same level of respect as a 375th SFS member while performing their duties.

Through better understanding of traffic laws and acknowledging the 375th Security Forces Squadron's obligation to enforce them, 375th SFS hopes that traffic violations continue to decline, making Scott a safer place to drive.