Saturday, December 21, 2013

Not A Pleasant Post


    I live in a city of around 200,000 residents.  Traveling around town is fairly easy because of our highway system.  The city limits are encircled by Highway Loop 335.  Amarillo is intersected east/west by I-40 and US 66, and north/south by US 287/I-27. It is sort of like a pie cut into 4 pieces by highways.

       If I go anywhere in town I use these highways --- usually multiple highways, multiple times a day.  I see a fair amount of billboards, although those are becoming extinct.  However, there are some very sobering new signs.  Last year Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) started posting the number of deaths on Texas highways on extremely large digital signs along Texas highways. 
       Every time I drive to my son or daughter's homes I pass a TxDOT sign.  Yesterday, in large red lights on a dark background it said:
3,061 deaths on Texas roads this year 
and it was wrong.  I believe the sign is updated once a week and I know that 4 people died on roads & highways in or around Amarillo just in the past few days.  I have no idea how many deaths in the state for this week. 
      The point of having the signs is that maybe Texas drivers will think before they drink and drive, text and drive, speed, fail to buckle up, or whatever impairs their driving.  It does me.  It makes me think.  I see that sign and I think 3,061 souls left home one morning and didn't ever come back.  In a second their family's lives were changed forever.  Do I slow down, pay more attention, drive more careful?  You betcha.  
      I don't know about anywhere else, but here in my city it was common to see someone driving and talking on a cell phone until last year's law went into effect.  From my observation not too many people are complying with the law as of yet. Is it a stupid thing to do? Yes!  I recently heard on the news that Texas is way up there on the list of states with terrible drivers. 
      As per TxDOT reports, there was not a deathless day on Texas roads in 2012. There was a total of 3,399 deaths on Texas roads last year.  On average a person was killed every 2 hours and 35 minutes.There were 63,610 serious injury crashes in Texas last year with 87,087 people sustaining a serious injury.  
      A young woman ran a red light while looking down at her GPS and hit me last year.  While I suffered a concussion, broken bones & a totaled vehicle I realize my wreck would not even be considered a serious injury crash.  I have no idea how many less severe wrecks occurred.
     If you are driving somewhere for Christmas, please be careful.  Make it home in one piece.  And before you drive away tell your family you love them.  

10 comments:

  1. Wonderful reminder for the upcoming huge traffic day but also for every day. Split seconds of inattention can change a life forever.

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    1. Isn't that the truth....in a split second. You stay safe and have a good weekend. It is snowing like crazy here. Big fluffy flakes.

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  2. Not pleasant to think about, but this is a very, very important reminder to all of us. I know it will come to my mind as I am out driving today.

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    1. Yes, please be careful. Hope you have a wonderful weekend. Where I live it is snowing great big flakes...beginning to look alot like Christmas!

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  3. A vehicle is a huge piece of equipment that takes wisdom and power to operate. I have always been in awe of my ability to know the many laws and to maneuver that mighty beast after only a few months of lessons in high school. My instructor was a man who took his job seriously and taught us never to take lightly the ability we had to cause murder and/or mayhem with this machine under our control. The girl who struck our van from behind when Ron was at a complete stop making a left turn, had hopped in her car, taken off down the road and immediately began to text a friend, never looking up but moving full speed down the road. She hit him without ever applying her brakes and left no skid marks. Thankfully his injuries were minor and she was not injured but both vehicles were totaled. A split second is all it takes. Where did our respect for these powerful machines go?

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    1. That is very similar to my wreck. The girl never had a change to even try to break before she hit me. I am going to sound like a cranky old lady here but I really think younger people today have no clue that they are suppose to be in control of a powerful machine when they get behind a wheel. And don't get me started on that kid who killed 4 people and got off by claiming "AFLUENZA" --- are you kidding me?? Too rich and spoiled to be responsible??? oh my gosh

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  4. When we will ever learn - what will it take? We have overhead computer signs on the highway that are updated! sandie

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    1. I'm glad your state also has the signs. I think they help.

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  5. SO important to be aware of safety. It really takes only a fraction of time being distracted to have something bad happen.

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    1. I hope you got to Florida safe and sound. Enjoy the sunshine!

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