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Two Sailors in Hawaii were arrested for
speeding more than 130 mph, a dangerous behavior that has become all too
common. Before that incident, three Hawaii-based Sailors were seriously
injured in an auto mishap caused by a civilian who, while racing, lost
control of his vehicle and hit the Sailors' vehicle. The civilian and his
passenger died of their injuries.
"Speed kills, plain and simple," said CMDCM(AW/SW) L. R.
Cruz, Navy Region Hawaii command master chief. "We saw it in the 60s
and 70s. Now, Sailors in our younger generation are going through the same
thing."
There's a new message out, though, detailing stiff punishments for the
current crop of Hawaii-based Sailors who get stopped for speeding—on
base or out in town. Consequences include revoked base-driving privileges.
"Driving on base is a privilege, not a right," said Cruz.
"If people don't respect that privilege, we will take it from
them."
If convicted of reckless driving in Hawaii, a person can receive a wide
range of punishments. A state judge decides whether to impose fines, jail
time, or both to anyone found guilty.
The problem, according to CMDCM(SW/SS) Mark Marshall, command master
chief for USS Port Royal (CG-73), is a "culture of speed. If
you have a Sailor involved in that culture, and he or she drinks and
drives, you have a dead Sailor. Statistically, it's just a matter of
time."
For Sailors who still feel a need for speed, Cruz said, "There is
a place to fulfill it without misusing public roads [referring to a local
track]." He added these thoughts about those who would use the
highways of Hawaii as their personal playground, "You don't do it
[race or speed] on a public roadway because of the danger to our
community. Don't be selfish. Think of others who could be injured or
killed because of your breaking the law."
Commander Navy Region Hawaii, RDML Barry McCullough, said it this way
in a message to all commands under his jurisdiction, "Racing and
excessive speeding will not be tolerated from our Sailors. It is up to us
as Navy leaders to do everything possible to ensure our Sailors are not
involved in another senseless fatality or injury on our highways."
Unfortunately, the problem of speeding and racing isn't germane just to
Hawaii—it's everywhere, and young Sailors and Marines are part of the
difficulty. Consider these examples:
- A 23-year-old Sailor in a 1993
Hyundai was racing a shipmate in another car down a Virginia interstate
highway when he lost control. His Hyundai ran off the road, hit a jersey
barrier, and rolled several times, ejecting him. He was pronounced dead at
the scene. Meanwhile, a 23-year-old passenger [also a Sailor] in his car
suffered only minor injuries.
- Two young Sailors borrowed a
friend's Acura Legend and went drag racing in California. While traveling
about 80 mph in a 35-mph zone, the car slammed into a light pole and burst
into flames, burning both victims beyond recognition.
- Elsewhere, a 20-year-old
Sailor and her friends started drinking at a nightclub about 2300 one
Sunday. Three hours later—at closing time—they left for home. The
20-year-old decided to drive a car belonging to one of her party friends
because that friend acted drunk. Meanwhile, she had another partygoer
drive her car. Both drivers headed to an interstate, where they started
racing at speeds faster than 100 mph. The 20-year-old lost control of the
car she was driving, crossed two lanes of traffic, left the road, spun,
and hit some trees rear-end first. The air bags didn't deploy, and the
seat belt didn't save her.
Like Hawaii, California has decided to do something about illegal drag
racing. The police department in one major California city organized a
unit of full-time undercover detectives. With the help of city council,
this unit has reduced the number of races, as well as the number of
spectators. The city council passed a law that allows police to seize and
to sell cars used in illegal drag racing. The council also passed a law
that makes being a spectator at a drag race a crime, punishable by six
months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Another California city
council has attacked the problem by marking the curbs of popular racing
streets as no-stopping zones. This action allows police officers to
impound every car that is trapped when they move into position to stop a
night of racing.
Sundown doesn't mean it's time to swap your military job for that
souped-up car you own—the one you use to prowl city streets, looking for
a drag race. Too often, this scene ends with screeching tires, twisted
metal, and mangled bodies.
JO1 Daniel Calderon, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii public
affairs, contributed to this article.
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