Driving is the new health hazard

By Sean Mulhair
The Collegian

Roadways become battlefields in the San Joaquin Valley as bad driving habits continue to be a daily hazard.

Driving skills seem to be optional.

Weaving, tailgating, talking on a cell phone, racing, drunk driving and other psychotic behavior on the road is a constant danger we all have to avoid once we start the engine.

I drive 56 miles from rural Visalia to get to class; probably more than most Fresno State students.

As a commuter-student my long asphalt pilgrimage is a highway to hell thanks to drivers who have more important things to do than pay attention to the road.

Visalia resident Donnie Flatt said the worst Valley driving habit is distracted driving.

Drivers can be found shaving, putting on makeup, eating sloppy foods like hamburgers and salads, changing clothes and the classic talking on their cellular phone.

Flatt said she believes the absolute worst drivers are young females.

“They drive like a bat out of hell. Drivers licenses should be given at 18,” Flatt said. “I saw a tiny young girl driving a giant SUV tailgating two feet behind me at 65 mph while eating a hamburger. She could barely see over the dash.”

Fresno Traffic Police Sgt. Eric Eide said impaired driving is the largest traffic problem in the Valley and is the greatest cause of traffic fatalities.

“There were 17,412 cases of impaired driving last year,” Eide said. Death rates for impaired driving are higher than violent crime.”

According to Eide, the highest risk demographic is 18-to 25-year-olds.

California Highway Patrol Officer David Gosvener said speeding is rampant and drivers just don’t care. He said very few accidents are caused by mechanical failures. Most fatal collisions are from driver error.

Senior Anthony Ferriera commutes from Sanger to campus and said Fresno drivers buckle under pressure.

“They can’t handle freeway driving, that’s why we have so many traffic jams and accidents.”

Valley drivers, especially students, need to calm down, it’s not a race; leave your home 10 minutes earlier if you are always running late to school or work.

No one is the king or queen of the road. Keep a safe distance between your car and other vehicles around you.

Paying attention to the road instead of your cell phone or CD player is always a good thing.

Impaired or distracted driving includes people who drive under the influence.

Overall beware, driving in the Valley may be hazardous to your health.

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