By LINDSEY DYE
Music blaring, he backs up speedily to avoid the parking lot traffic. Not paying enough attention, he crashes into the girl behind him and stares in disbelief as her windshield falls into her lap. True story.
Listen up, there have been way too many accidents in the parking lot this year, and the year isn’t even half over. Seven accidents in four months is extreme. This needs to stop. If one wants to race around, do it somewhere aside from a parking lot, especially a school parking lot.
If people continue to drive recklessly, administration may establish a speed limit here. Other schools, such as Lake Highland, have a 5 MPH speed limit that is actually enforced. Not only do students receive tickets but sometimes they get referrals or their privilege of driving to school is revoked. How about we do not anger the administration enough to where they give us a speed limit.
Everyone knows to look both ways before crossing another lane of traffic or backing up. That people aren’t abiding by the most simple laws of driving is ludicrous. It only takes four seconds, if that, to check left, right and behind, so it’s not like it’s taking up too much precious time. In the time it will take to call the police, file a report and go home, you will be wishing you took the four seconds to look and see who was behind you.
Next, stay awake while driving. One would think everyone would be fully aware of this, but someone is injured by a car crash every 14 seconds and about two million of the people injured in car accidents each year suffer permanent injuries, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. Think about it, by the time you finish this paragraph, someone will have been injured in a car accident. Certain medications like Benadryl cause drowsiness and clearly state to not drive while on the medication. Follow directions and don’t drive while on medications that cause drowsiness. If exhausted, do not drive or have a friend drive you.
According to the DMV, vehicular crashes are the leading cause of death for ages 15 to 20. Fifteen of these teens die every day because of inexperience behind the wheel, excessive speed, too many passengers in the car or alcohol. There are more than six million car accidents and 40,000 deaths caused by car accidents each year in the United States. A person dies in a car accident every 12 minutes. This number could decrease if people paid attention and kept from being distracted. Talking on the phone, texting while driving, listening to excessively loud music and having too many people in a car are all distraction factors. Eliminate these factors, and traffic statistics may not be as horrific as they are now. The text or phone call can wait. Your life won’t.
Deaths due to car accidents are not only a major concern because of the personal costs, but the economic cost is serious as well. Every brain injury costs society over $1 million and 28 percent of all car accidents end with a brain injury such as an intracranial hematoma, meaning bleeding in the brain.
Wear your seat belt. It’s a law there for your protection. Eighty percent of all deaths to children in a motor vehicle accident could be prevented by properly securing the safety harnesses and seat belts. Seat belts save lives.
Also, drive at a safe speed. The government gave us speed limits for a reason. Do not surprise other drivers and try to keep road rage down to a minimum. If you do not like it when people merge in front of you without warning, chances are most other drivers do not either. Yelling through your window at someone else is not going to change their driving skills so don’t waste your time making yourself look like a fool.
Drive smart. Drive safely.