Driving Should Not Make Pedestrians Body Bags

In recent days the flag has been at half staff on the campus of Brigham Young University in remembrance of a young life which ended in tragedy. Rebecca Blazzard, a 24 year old student at BYU was struck by an automobile as she was crossing the street at 1820 N. University Ave. She was hit by a Subaru and then rushed to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, where later she was pronounced dead. Rebecca’s story, along with others like it demonstrate the outcomes of reckless driving. In my first year here at BYU I have noticed on multiple occasions just how reckless some drivers can be. While walking in the cross walk I have almost been hit on several times because drivers simply do not pay attention. I did my part: I was in the cross walk and the walk symbol was showing. The driver was completely at fault, and on a few occasions I was very lucky not to get injured. This problem is no longer one that can be ignored, because as you can see, lives are at stake. The causes for this lack of attention as people drive come from very simple sources and it is disheartening that so many accidents and life changing injuries can be caused by very simple and very preventable circumstances. Firstly, cell phones can become a significant distraction for drivers. People need to put their social lives on hold for a few minutes while they are driving so that they can focus on traffic and pedestrians. It makes me sick to think that someone could die because a driver had to talk to their friend about their weekend plans. Along with cell phones there are many other distractions that can be easily removed from the scenario if drivers simply choose to take some responsibility and be considerate of other people around them. The lives of the people around you are in your hands when you take the wheel. Innocent pedestrians are powerless against your SUV. If everyone just turns down the stereo a little, holds off on the telephone call, and drives more carefully, we will not have to see more lives lost due to very preventable causes.