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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