2001 Critical Days of Summer: Seat belt use not optional at Hill Air Force Base

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Both Utah state law and the Hill Air Force Base Supplement to Air Force Instruction 31-204 mandate seat belt use for operators and passengers of all vehicles operated on Hill Air Force Base. Furthermore, all Air Force active duty and Reserve component members on active duty must wear restraint systems while driving or riding in a POV whether on or off the installation. Even though your car has air bags, you must still wear your seat belt.

For active duty or reserve component members, failure to wear your seat belt could ultimately result in a LOC or LOR placed in an Unfavorable Information File which could negatively affect your career. For civilians, a citation for failure to wear your seat belt will result in your prosecution in United States Magistrate Court in Salt Lake City. In other words, failure to wear your seat belt is a federal offense.

18 U.S.C. § 13 adopts state laws for areas within federal jurisdiction. Therefore, any violation of a Utah state law committed on Hill Air Force Base is a federal offense and prosecutable before the appropriate United States authority. Failure to buckle up is a violation of Utah state law which requires all occupants of a vehicle to use safety restraints. A ticket for failure to buckle up is a ticket to federal court.

Everyone knows that wearing seat belts save lives, but many individuals here at Hill still fail to buckle up. This problem is not limited to Hill, but is widespread throughout the state of Utah. Did you know that failure to wear your seat belt could actually place your children at risk? Local statistics show a clear relationship between adult seat belt usage and child seat belt usage in the same car. The Intermountain Injury Control Research Center found that when Utah drivers were wearing their seat belts, almost 95 percent of children in the car were also buckled up. However, when drivers failed to use their seat belts, statistics show that only 53 percent of children in that car buckled up.

Develop good safety restraint habits now before you or a loved one is injured or killed. The state of Utah has recognized this problem, and a group of Utah legislators placed a bill before the Utah House of Representatives that would enable primary seat belt enforcement within the state of Utah. Primary enforcement gives police the power to pull you over and issue a citation for no other reason than failure to wear your seat belt. You can expect enforcement of such a law here at Hill.

Stay safe and you will set a positive example for not only your loved ones, but for everyone else who is a member of Team Hill. If you need an additional reason to buckle up, know that if you fail to wear your seat belt you can be found guilty of a federal offense. Buckle up, stay safe and stay out of federal court!

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