CHP, POLICE JOIN FORCES.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE - California Highway Patrol officers and Air Force police ticketed 80 motorists Wednesday morning in a crackdown on commuters speeding to Edwards Air Force Base jobs.

CHP officers joined the base's 95th Security Forces Squadron personnel for a four-hour joint effort targeting speeders - who were caught traveling up to 90 mph - at the request of Edwards commander Maj. Gen. Doug Pearson.

``It's been a big push by the general to reduce the speed on the base,'' said Air Force Master Sgt. Mark Chamberlain.

Speeding is a natural temptation for the thousands of commuters who stream in and out of Edwards' gates twice daily: The base's roads are generally straight and not congested, and the distances are long.

Just the trip between Edwards' western border and the main base facilities is a 25-minute drive at the 60 mph speed limit. Some base workers commute to and from Santa Clarita, Los Angeles or even San Bernardino.

Rollover accidents are common at Edwards because roads are bordered by soft dirt and sand, Air Force Tech. Sgt. James Morgan said. Some motorists let their right tires drift off the road, then jerk the steering wheel to get back onto the pavement and the car flips.

The base's latest traffic fatality was just last week on Rosamond Boulevard. Killed was David Rice, 54, an employee of Edwards contractor JT-3 who worked with the 412th Test Wing range division.

Rice died Nov. 12, after his Dodge pickup truck slammed into a parked water truck that was there for a road construction project, said Morgan, who didn't know how fast the pickup truck had been traveling.

Wednesday's operation was planned even before the traffic death, officials said. On Wednesday morning, CHP officers started before 5 a.m. to watch for speeders on Rosamond Boulevard, Sierra Highway, California City Boulevard and Avenue E, all main routes to Edwards' west, south and north gates. Air Force police in four two-person cars patrolled the base's roads.

Just inside the base's western border, the CHP set up a trailer with a radar sensor. Its illuminated sign board showed approaching motorists the speed they were going.

``It's out there in front of them to make them realize, oh, I'm going a little too fast, maybe I should slow down,'' CHP officer Joel Martinez said.

The sign - or maybe the patrol cars stopped nearby - seemed to draw motorists' notice. Some drivers slowed down to near 40 mph as they passed by.

The fastest speeder ticketed was clocked at 90 mph on California City Boulevard north of Highway 58, CHP Sgt. Tim Smith said. The slowest-moving speeder to get a ticket was the driver of big rig doing 64 mph on Avenue E, where the speed limit is 55 mph.

The fastest-moving vehicles stopped by Air Force personnel were doing 76 mph, one in a 55-mph zone on Mercury Boulevard and one in the 60 mph speed zone on Rosamond Boulevard on the base.

Some motorists were ticketed for unsafe lane changes or because they were not wearing seat belts, officials said.

CHP officers said they hope to cooperate with Air Force Security Forces personnel for future joint efforts at least once a month.

``I think you'll see us here a lot more,'' Martinez said.

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) A radar sensor on a trailer parked Wednesday on the approach to Edwards AFB tells motorists how fast they are traveling.

(2 -- color) Sgt. Tim Smith monitors the radar speed readout of a motorist passing an Edwards AFB entrance on Wednesday.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer