The majority of students in high school don’t have much experience driving because of their age. Some have not even received their permit. But that doesn’t mean people don’t see and hear about what’s happening on the road. While exiting the school parking lot at 3:15, Senior Jeff Coleman waits patiently for the cars ahead of him to go, unlike some other people do. Some vehicles cut into the hectic exit line without waiting and some others follow much too closely.
Students are so anxious at that time of day to get home or to their sports events that they forget what they learned in Driver’s Ed class. Most people are thinking, “How long does it take to get out of here?” rather than, “Am I maintaining a safe following distance with the car in front of me?”
The real parking lot problem appears when our driver acts on his or her impatience and starts a game with surrounding cars. In past years, Coleman has seen “people throwing marshmallows at other cars, squirting water guns and climbing into other vehicles through the window.” Such behavior may seem innocent, but can lead to a serious accident. Driver’s Ed teaches students about the do’s and don’ts of driving, but not everyone follows those rules.
Mr. Kurtswag, Driver’s Ed teacher, clearly states to his class that driving distractions are a death sentence. This year in Minnesota in April alone, there were 10 teen fatalities due to phone usage while driving. Worried parents hoped this would call for a nationwide cell phone ban behind the wheel, but so fare the only states that have this our (mention states). Minnesota has yet to be a part of this plea yet.
However, the Edina Police Department put together a committee to help educate our community about the dangers of distracted driving. They are giving the EHS staff t-shirts with driving slogans on them (write ex. Slogans) to influence students and there will be a MADD “crash car” during Homecoming week. It has been reported by the Department of Public Safety that from 2008 to 2009 the number of fatal and severe car crashes dropped 17.7%. This is most likely due to the “graduated” license rules that took place in August 2008, a reason to have even tougher national laws, with hopes to see an even bigger drop in accidents in the year 2010.
Impatient and reckless attitudes are proven to be an enormous distraction to drivers. Today, distractions are the leading cause of crashes, and are most likely to affect the inexperienced; like high school students. Driving carefully in the school parking lot is especially crucial, in order to keep you and others safe. So be careful! No, that’s an understatement. Act carefully while driving. If you don’t, it could take your life and the lives of others you know.
