Driver Safety

Driver Safety

It feels like since the accident two and half weeks ago where my roommate was hit by a car that our apartment has heard nothing but constant berating from strangers on pedestrian safety. I’m here to shed a little light on the situation.

My roommate, Jen, left our apartment around 7:45 am.  There’s a popular crosswalk just in front of our apartment, with large flashing beacons that you activate via button each time you cross. Ironically, I even witnessed some workers repaint the crosswalk not a week beforehand. Jen, being conscious of the terrible drivers in our college town, hit the button and checked to her left (with the immediate traffic approaching) and saw it was clear and continued across the road. No cell phone (as one old man tried to accuse her of when he asked about her injuries at an Arby’s), no mp3 player, nothing distracting at all. Jen made it halfway across the street before she saw someone on her right who was not braking (we believe the car had pulled out of the parking lot across the street and that is why Jen  did not see her earlier). The car did not brake nor swerve, and Jen hopped a bit backwards to try and get out of the way. Unfortunately, she wasn’t in time and was hit.

Later, in the police report, the driver said her window was “foggy with dust” (what does that mean?) and didn’t see Jen until she was rolling off the side of her car (even though Jen smashed her entire windshield). Jen will have large scars on her elbow, permanent nerve damage in her knee, and a fear of that crosswalk from now on. The driver never came by to apologize, check on Jen, or any such thing. We haven’t heard from her since that day.

The car flew straight through a normally crowded crosswalk. She didn’t take the time to stop a second and wipe off her windshield. She didn’t check for any lights flashing. There’s even talk she may have been on her phone (texting or otherwise) but this is speculation (witnesses saw her get out of her car with phone in hand). Regardless of what may have been happening in her head, there were many precautions she could have taken to prevent this accident.

When we went to the hospital the nurse immediately tells us how angry she is that pedestrians aren’t safer on the streets (and regales to us how she almost hit some boys on their bikes). The officer writing the report came in for Jen’s statement, then came out to us in the waiting room and told us of a drunken lady walking on a highway who is likely to die soon from a car accident. And he adds defense to why the police in the area have been ticketing jaywalkers, reminding us to be safer crossing the street. We had people stopping by who believed Jen must have been just as at fault as the driver, until they heard the story. The old man at Arby’s asked Jen about her crutches and when she told him about the accident he says, “Did you look both ways?” which Jen responded “Yes.” Then he makes a motion of holding a phone to his ear and says “Were you looking like this?” I walked over and gave him a snarl, and so he finally stepped away from Jen who was a bit flustered that he would assume such stupidity of her. 

And, finally, the big hit to the face was the University newspaper writing about Jen’s accident to promote pedestrian safety. The writer even states he “doesn’t know who is at fault” and it “doesn’t matter”. If it truly didn’t matter, he wouldn’t be assuming Jen was at fault. He wouldn’t have written an entire article about the incident and other ones like it just to push pedestrian safety. He never spoke to Jen, and never had his facts straight. It was the most irresponsible news reporting I’d ever seen. For him to use this accident as a staple of pedestrians being unsafe is a huge insult to Jen, who couldn’t have done much more than she had to keep herself safe.

So I want to make a new suggestion here that may seem crazy but I think it needs to be said. Maybe, now keep with me here, just maybe drivers need to do a little more to be safe in this town. In driver’s ed. we’re taught to do some “pre-flight” checks if you will. Mirrors, windows, seats – they all need to be in their right place and clear. My van at home often gets dirty on the windshield, but I keep a rag in my car to wipe it down. I always make sure I can see before I take off. I’ll be late because I’m waiting for windows to defrost, but hey, I didn’t hit anybody on my way there. I always figure that’s a fair trade off. And understanding the rules of the road is a big thing that seems to be glossed over here in town. Four-way stops never seem to operate how they should in this town, and no one seems to care if they are passing by a busy crosswalk. The town has even lowered speed limits all across the town limits just because so many drivers don’t look. So, you know, hopefully the pedestrians now have time to look.

I seem to be one of very few people on the road that cares that there are others driving. I look two cars in front of me, which will help me brake faster if that car should slam on its brakes. I’m always watching the people next to me and behind me. Sometimes the guy next to me can’t see me, and sometimes the guy behind me is tailgating. Pumping brake lights gently will sometimes warn them to back off, but if not, I’ll move behind him. But maybe I’m a bit too cautious, because you see, I’m on a motorcycle. If I’m in an accident, odds are I will die.

But maybe that’s how we should all be driving. Because we all are gambling with each other’s lives each time check the radio, or don’t wipe our windshield, or aren’t sitting up straight (and can’t reach the brake very well). When we don’t take the time to be a bit more cautious, then we get into the situations where it’s the “other persons fault”. Like the pedestrians.

But one day you will be the “other person”.  Or your child. Or your sibling.

So for once in your life act like you’re the responsible one on the road, and you are the one that needs to look out for others and not just for yourself.