SLAC’s Traffic Control Program is still in effect. With the start of a new year, everyone at the Lab should remind themselves to be courteous and responsible drivers.

Robbie Robertson (SEC) is one of the many security officers who helps keep SLAC safe. (Photo by Diana Rogers)

"This program is designed for the protection of all people at SLAC. We need to follow the basic rules of the road here just as we do on city streets or highways," said Rick Yeager, Head of Safeguards and Security.

The key to the program is vehicle registration. All employees, longtime users or contractors must register their vehicles with Security. Color-coded numbers on windshields or rear view mirrors let security personnel inform vehicle owners when something goes awry with their cars, like parking lot accidents, oil leaks or when headlights are left on. Registered vehicles also gain more rapid access to the site during non-business hours.

Registration numbers also help security personnel identify vehicle owners who aren’t obeying the rules. Under this program, Safeguards and Security personnel can issue two types of citations: parking violations and moving violations (such as running stop signs, speeding or not stopping for pedestrians). Penalization increases in severity for these actions as an individual accumulates citations in a 90-day (parking violations) or 180-day (moving violations) period.

Yeager reports that since Safeguards and Security began monitoring speed with random radar checks, the average on-site speed has dropped from 40 mph to 32 mph. He hopes that this program will give people the added push to keep their speeds at 25 mph, which is the posted speed limit.

"25 miles per hour has been determined to be the safest speed for the site for pedestrians, cars and wildlife," said Yeager.