Kirtland Air Force Base, NM -- For many, safety means acting in a way that will get you through the work day, driving and performing activities around the home without injury. For others, safety goes "out the window" as we head home and to our off-duty activities.

But safety applies to more than just "on the job" -- it's a part of daily life.

Often we don't think about safety when we leave work, but our safety at home, at play and on the road are very important to keeping us alive.

Current trends show that many people are not thinking about their safety or that of others when they are on the road. The greatest problems are excessive speed, lack of seatbelt use, right-of-way allowances and cell phone use.

Pedestrians have the right of way at all crosswalks. By law, drivers must yield, slowing or stopping for pedestrians crossing in a crosswalk. This is extremely important near the Wyoming and Paintbrush intersection and the crosswalk on Silverberry near the school.

Speed limits are broken and our Security Forces do a good job of reminding drivers they are speeding with a citation or two, but they can't be everywhere all the time. Drivers are responsible for following the rules of the road and operating a vehicle safely.

There is no excuse for speeding. The posted speed limits are determined based on ideal conditions with nothing out of the ordinary happening, but what if?

That is the unpredictable event that occurs when you least expect it.

What if you pull into base housing and are cruising through there at 25 mph when a child runs out from behind a parked car?

Will you have time to stop without hitting the child or turning your car into a parked car? What if you were doing the posted 15 mph?

You would probably have time to see the child and react safely to keep anyone from getting hurt.

Our base housing community is a 15 mph zone for a reason.

Many people are out and about. Cars are pulling out of driveways and unpredictable events can occur in the neighborhood.

Do you really need a cop sitting on the side of the road to slow you down?

You shouldn't - speed limits are posted and you control the speed of the car - so just drive within the speed limit and reduce your risk of having an accident. Think of the outcome should you have an accident.

Can you afford the increased insurance?
What about the mental cost?
Can you live with having hit and killed a child?

Seatbelts are another area of concern. Many people don't like them and won't wear them, even though state law and an Air Force Instruction mandate their use.

There is a list of excuses that people will go through, but the bottom line is that they are just that - an excuse.

The seatbelt will hold you in place during a collision and also keep you from being thrown around your vehicle striking other passengers and the hard surfaces of the car, or even being ejected.

So don't give any excuse, just wear it!

Cell phones, the modern-day wonder that has so many uses, such as texting, checking movie times, calling the kids, maps, restaurant searches and so on.

What about using them while driving?

It is a violation of multiple state and city laws to drive while using a cell phone. It is against a DOD Instruction, an Air Force Instruction, as well as a violation of Albuquerque city laws.

Besides being against several laws, it is a major distraction. When you are driving, there are enough things you must watch for, such as cars pulling into traffic, people not using turn signals, people running red lights, potholes, construction and more.

You don't need to try to keep up with a text or verbal conversation added to the mix.

While it is legal to use a hands-free device, it's not recommended as you get drawn into the conversation and forget that you are driving.

Have you ever been on the phone while driving and not realized how many traffic lights you traveled through, or how you got home from the commissary?

The University of Utah performed a study and found that drivers using cell phones had slower reaction times than drivers impaired by alcohol at a .08 blood alcohol concentration.

What do you need to do? A song sums it up well: "Shut up and Drive," sung by Chely Wright (1997) and Rihana (2007).

It means just put on your seatbelt, put down the cell phone and drive your car following all the rules. Get from point A to point B safely. No near-misses, no accidents, no speeding tickets, no problems.

The Security Forces Squadron enforces laws to keep you safe, not to meet a quota.

The rules are there to keep everyone safe. Since we don't always police ourselves, we have professionals looking out for us.

The wing safety office provides driving safety advice on local conditions to all newcomers, the First Term Airman Center, Supervisor Safety Training and the Drivers Improvement courses.

Security forces and wing safety will team up in joint patrols to watch for safety violations and provide friendly reminders -- and citations if warranted -- to those who forget the rules.

The first Air Force core value is integrity. It is the willingness to do what is right even when no one is looking. Take this value to heart and apply it when you are driving.

If you have any questions about the safety requirements for driving and cell phones, call the safety office at 846-4227.