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St. Cloud State University
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Commentary
Future appears grim for drivers
Published:
Thursday, July 24, 2003
This year, the state of Minnesota may break a record that no state wants to break: the number of fatal traffic accidents.
As of Friday, July 18, the year-to-date total of Minnesota traffic fatalities was determined by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. That number was an alarming 311 deaths.
At this rate, the department predicts that by the end of the year, fatalities could reach 685 people. This would surpass the number of last year's casualties by 28, and we are already ahead; last year on July 24 we hit the 300 mark.
As if that isn't scary enough, one out of four drivers in fatal Minnesota crashes is under 25. That description fits a vast majority of SCSU's students.
What is the cause of these accidents?
Part of it may be alcohol or drug use, some people blame cell phones or electronic devices (radio, cd player, etc.) while others suggest it is the feeling of invincibility and our own detached conception of our mortality that put us in danger. But all of these possibilities can be lumped into one broad category: distractions.
Unfortunately, the problem of in-car distractions is brushed beneath the rug, even trivialized. One television commercial advertising Chevy Impalas is a perfect example of this trivialization.
The consumer sees a sleek Impala flash across the screen, and hears the jovial laughter of a group of females sitting inside. The road sharply curves and the driver pulls the car onto the shoulder near some guard rails, where the women continue to giggle. After the driver recomposes herself, she says, "Okay, I can drive now." An authoritative voice-over verifies that Chevy Impalas are made so "you" don't have to worry about the car, and can worry instead about other things, i.e. having a good time.
The problem is, an alarming number of accidents, and serious, sometimes fatal ones, at that, are caused by driver distractions. The driver is too focused on the radio, changing to a better station or switching CDs; the cell phone, that business call that just couldn't wait, or a conversation with other passengers. Sometimes drugs or pressure are influences, people are in a hurry, they don't follow directions on medications, or they drink and drive.
All it takes is one second, one moment when the driver loses focus, and he or she can lose a lot more than that. A license, a limb, even a life.
Motorists need to stop driving in the glamourous fashion we have grown accustomed to seeing portrayed on television and in movies, and start regarding it as a job that one should take as seriously as any other job for which one is paid paid. Because if you snooze on this job, you could lose your life.
Lets do our best to stop driving accidents and fatalities that occur as a result of carelessness and distraction. It's one record the Minnesota Department of Public Safety does not want Minnesota motorists to break.
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