Eyes on the road: The importance of being aware

Photo By Cpl. Harley Thomas | MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII - According to Base Order 5560, the order regarding base motor vehicle and traffic regulations, driving a motor vehicle while talking on a cellphone or texting without a hands-free device is prohibited, however, it’s important for service members, families and workers aboard the base to know that “distracted driving” refers to a much broader spectrum of instances that may cause accidents. “People believe that as long as they aren’t actually texting or talking on the phone, they are fine,” said Lt. Col. Brian Cohn, the current operations officer for the Operations and Training directorate, and a resident of Kailua, Hawaii. “It could be anything, like changing music or checking Facebook; if you are driving and pick up your phone to press buttons or look at it, it constitutes as using the device, and if the officers see you doing that, they will pull you over and give you a citation.”(U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Harley Thomas)  

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, UNITED STATES

12.14.2016

Story by Cpl. Harley Thomas 

Marine Corps Base Hawaii

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII – According to Base Order 5560, the order regarding base motor vehicle and traffic regulations, driving a motor vehicle while talking on a cellphone or texting without a hands-free device is prohibited, however, it’s important for service members, families and workers aboard the base to know that “distracted driving” refers to a much broader spectrum of instances that may cause accidents.

Distracted driving is an epidemic on America’s roadways, and in 2014, the base had 220 distracted driving incidents. In 2015, there was a total of 169 and this year’s total thus far is 173. Marine Corps Base Hawaii is committed to the safety of its service members, residents and guests by enforcing existing regulations to fight the rise of distracted driving, but what exactly is distracting driving?

“Distracted driving is anything that takes your eyes off the road while you are operating a motor vehicle,” said Col. Sean Killeen, the commanding officer of MCB Hawaii. “Texting or talking on the phone are probably the largest distractors right now, but they aren’t the only ones, and a second of inattention is all it takes.”

Killeen, a native of Mundelein, Illinois, said according to the Department of Transportation, people are 14 times more likely to be killed by a distracted driver than somebody who is drinking and driving.

“Operating an automobile is the equivalent of wielding a weapon,” he said. “I’ve seen so many mishaps occur because people haven’t paid attention to what they are doing while they drive. We need to take the same approach we take when it comes to drinking and driving by toughening the penalties for this. People should pay fines and go to jail if they think their ‘OMG’ is more important than the lives around them – you can’t think this isn’t a big deal.”

Lt. Col. Brian Cohn, the current operations officer for the Operations and Training directorate, said there is often confusion regarding the circumstances in which one might receive a citation from the Provost Marshal’s Office, and he wants to help the public better understand them.

“People believe that as long as they aren’t actually texting or talking on the phone, they are fine,” said Cohn, a resident of Kailua, Hawaii. “It could be anything, like changing music or checking Facebook; if you are driving and pick up your phone to press buttons or look at it, it constitutes as using the device, and if the officers see you doing that, they will pull you over and give you a citation.”

Cohn said a driver may be cited for distracted driving three times before losing driving privileges aboard the base. For the first offense, the maximum penalty is a 30-day suspension, three points on their record and a 6-hour remedial driving course. The second offense leads to a 6-month suspension of driving privileges, and for the third offense, the driver would then be removed from base housing.

“It may seem harsh, but if you are still getting pulled over after seven months of suspension – if the message hasn’t gotten through – you are a driving hazard,” he said. “That shows a pattern of careless and reckless driving and something needs to be done before somebody gets hurt. There are very serious consequences and we must enforce this.”

Killeen said that while nobody wants to receive citations, there are more important reasons to remain vigilant while operating a vehicle.

“There was this guy, a former commander here, whose wife and kids went outside to say goodbye and see him off to work: He got in the car and, while he was waving to his wife, he began to back out of his driveway, running over his two-year-old son, killing him – he had wandered behind the vehicle while they weren’t watching,” he said. “That changed him. For life. He isn’t the same person I knew before that, and people live with those experiences forever.”

Killeen said it could happen to anybody, and even happened to himself when he was out riding his bicycle.

“I was sitting at a red light and the guy in the car next to me had his head down, texting,” he said. “I tried to wave and signal to turn, but he was completely oblivious to what was going on around him, so, the lights turned green and I left. Halfway down the block, I heard a horn go off and looked to see that he was still sitting there at the light. He looked up, saw it had turned green and began to turn, texting the entire time – I tried to avoid him, but looked back to see the car closing in on me and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in an ambulance.”

Killeen said the driver had hit him and he was found by a police officer who happened to be on a side street. He ended up with a broken jaw, a fractured skull and orbital socket, and suffered memory loss for 45 days.

“While we’ve been doing the campaign and talking to people about it, I, unfortunately, don’t think people will fully understand the importance of this until they have injured or killed somebody,” Killeen said. “I want people to stop and think: Is there anything on your phone that is more important than a human life?”

• Date Taken: 12.14.2016
• Date Posted: 12.14.2016 15:52
• Story ID: 217704
• Location: MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, HI, US