POLICE REPORT: Dangers of the Driver’s Seat By Satya Sai Aneesha Prathigudupu Case No: 322 Date: 8/01/2021 Time: 10:37 p.m. Reporting Officer: Aneesha Prathigudupu Prepared by: Aneesha Prathigudupu Incident: Car accident on 45th Street in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Detail of Event: 17-year-old Tyler Woodson was driving alone in his Honda Civic at approximately 10:37 p.m. on Sunday, August 1st. According to his mother, Jane Woodson, he was returning from his friend’s house. Right before the accident occurred, it can be assumed that Tyler was texting someone based on his recent cell phone messages. He had driven past a stop sign at the intersection without noticing, distracted by his phone. At the same time, 38-year-old Maria Rodriguez was driving a Subaru Forester at 50 miles per hour in a 35 mph zone and collided with Tyler’s car perpendicularly. She was said to be in a rush to go home after a long night of working. It is possible that Maria was tired and partially inattentive. After the collision, Tyler and Maria’s cars were about 49 feet away from where they first had contact. Tyler had unfortunately passed away due to severe injuries on his head, as his small car had poor protection. On the other hand, Maria is currently in the hospital being treated for her severe wounds. Safety Precautions: The future can pay the price for reckless mistakes made in the present. Driving safety is much more than wearing a seatbelt or stopping at a red light. It can result in the difference between life and death which can be seen in the case of Tyler and Maria. The value of driver education is crucial in today’s rapidly changing society. It can tremendously decrease the number of deaths related to driving. According to a study done by the University of Nebraska, “Young drivers who have not completed driver's education are 75 percent more likely to get a traffic ticket, 24 percent more likely to be involved in a fatal or injury accident and 16 percent more likely to have an accident” (Network, 2021). This shows that people who have not had driver’s education are at a much higher risk of getting pulled over or hurt. These statistics are for young drivers. Now, imagine including older drivers as well. The window for injuries would be more wide open. By having all ages complete driver’s education, the percentages can be lowered guaranteeing a safer environment for all. Beyond doing driver’s education, other steps can be taken to reduce the number of deaths related to driving. Every year, the number of people who die from crashes exceeds 38,000. Furthermore, the number one cause of death in the United States is road crashes for people from the age of 1-54 (Road Safety Facts — Association for Safe International Road Travel, 2021). These could have been caused by multiple factors with the most harmful being distracted driving. After getting in, put on your seatbelt and adjust your mirrors, seat, etc. Then, get rid of all distractions or put them away. This includes alcohol, drugs, medicine, loose objects, and even cell phones. Being under the influence of alcohol or even glancing at your phone for a second can yield the same result: death. My Experience: I have fortunately never been involved in a major car accident. However, I have been in a situation where one of my friends was driving irresponsibly, and we were very close to crashing. He was under the influence of alcohol and had insisted on driving claiming he didn’t drink much. I did not have my license at the time and could not convince him to not drive. I thought it was not a big deal because he drank very little. I realized I was wrong fairly soon. As we were exiting a parking lot from the party, we had to take a left turn. This meant that we had to make sure there were no incoming cars on either side of the two-way road. However, he had turned into the wrong lane. The cars were going in the opposite direction. We nearly crashed into another car head-on. It was extremely terrifying and my heart felt like it had stopped. Another tragic experience I had with driving, is when my classmate passed away in a car accident. It was right after she got her license as well. She was the sweetest person and it is horrible that other people have to pay with their lives for the mistakes of others. Summary: In addition to completing driver’s education and not being distracted while driving, other simple rules to obey include following the speed limit, stopping at red lights, using turn signals, being aware of pedestrians, and being careful at roundabouts, intersections, and merging onto the highway or freeway. Moreover, make sure to read all signs and be alert at all times. There will always be people who are reckless and don’t follow rules. It is good to be prepared for them. In the accident involving Tyler and Maria, they had both made mistakes. If Tyler had not been on his phone, he would have stopped at the stop sign and still be alive today. If Maria had not been speeding, she would have suffered fewer injuries considering that Tyler did not stop. However, it is important to realize that both of their errors were not intentional. It seems that they had a long day and were not focused, but this also demonstrates how easy it is for accidents to occur. In the aftermath, many people are diagnosed with PTSD, fear of cars, and other mental health issues. If you do not take precautions now and realize the heavy responsibility that comes with driving a car, you will end up like Tyler or Maria. I now conclude this case. Works Cited Network, U., 2021. Study: Driver's ed significantly reduces teen crashes, tickets | News Releases | University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Newsroom.unl.edu. Available at: <http://newsroom.unl.edu/releases/2015/08/13/Study:+Driver%27s+ed+significantly+reduces+teen+crashes,+tickets#:~:text=Young%20drivers%20who%20have%20not,an%20accident%2C%20the%20study%20showed.> . Association for Safe International Road Travel. 2021. Road Safety Facts — Association for Safe International Road Travel. Available at: <https://www.asirt.org/safe-travel/road-safety-facts/> .