Weinberger Tells Military Personnel to Buckle Up

WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger has issued a directive making the use of seat belts mandatory while traveling in government-owned cars or driving on military installations, the Pentagon said Monday.

The directive states that “all personnel” riding in a Department of Defense “motor vehicle shall wear safety belts . . . whether on or off a DoD installation.” Furthermore, any person traveling on a military base, even if using a privately owned or rented car, must also buckle up, the directive states.

The directive, which is “effective immediately,” also bans the use of portable headphones or earphones while driving a motor vehicle or “jogging, walking, bicycling or skating on roads and streets on DoD installations.”