TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Throughout the first six months of 2013, the Combat Center Provost Marshal’s office has investigated 86 traffic collisions, 55 cases of driving under the influence and issued more than 300 traffic citations.
The mission of PMO’s traffic division is to promote traffic safety, record statistics of traffic violations and collisions, out in town and on base, enforce regulations via traffic citations and the liaison and analysis of traffic incidents.
It is PMO’s primary objective to keep the personnel aboard the Combat Center safe. When it comes to traffic, they accomplish this by responding to incidents and citing those who improperly operate their vehicles.
“A lot of the time, it’s just bad habits,” said Sgt. Nicholas LaPrade, accident investigator, PMO. “The reasons why people get citations and tickets are very typical. It’s simple things like not wearing a seatbelt or being distracted on a cell phone that gets them into trouble.”
Military police write these tickets to discourage damage or injury, but sometimes prevention may not be enough. If an accident occurs, PMO should be called, especially if there is injury or property damage. They are there to help mitigate the reporting process. If the collision happened in a government-owned vehicle, PMO must also be notified.
“The operator of a GOV involved in an accident or collision on the Combat Center shall immediately notify the Provost Marshal and make a report,” according to Chapter 10 of Combat Center’s Motor Vehicle and Traffic Regulations, CCO 1630.8D. “The accident will be reported by the operator regardless of the nature and extent of injuries, property damage, or apparent responsibility for the accident collision.”
LaPrade and other PMO accident investigators show up to accident scenes and investigate the cause. They look to see if there was a primary crash factor, and to see if anyone was at fault due to unsafe driving. The team also investigates crashes off base when Combat Center Marines and sailors are involved.
“What I would recommend, if they’re involved in an accident, is to figure out first of all, if anyone is injured,” LaPrade said. “What they want to do is call us up at PMO. We make sure that the parties involved can exchange information and no criminal offenses occurred.”
If the accident involves an offense like improper backing, the party at fault will incur citations. When cited or fined on base, drivers take on a point system, where different types of infractions equate to a certain point value, which maxes out at 12 points per year. If a Marine receives 12 points in one year, their on-base driving privileges will be revoked. Some offenses lead to automatic suspension of some privileges. After being cited, offenders must see the traffic court magistrate to assess the incident and determine the necessary punishment. The Combat Center’s traffic court magistrate is the installation sergeant major.
“The Traffic Court shall revoke driving privileges for a period of no less than six months for accumulation of 12 or more traffic points within 12 consecutive months,” according to Chapter 10 of CCO 1630.8D.
The point system applies to military and civilian personnel operating GOVs on or off the Combat Center and military personnel on or off the Combat Center.
“I highly recommend to anyone that is going to be attached to a base, to read the base regulation order,” LaPrade said. “I cover everything from privately owned vehicles and what you can and can’t do on the road. If it is traffic related, it should be in there.”
PMO wants drivers to know the rules before they run into trouble. There are small rules in the order that drivers can be cited for.
If an accident does occur and PMO is needed on scene, call the base emergency line at 830-3333. When on base this number is faster than dialing 911.