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Street racing, texting threaten innocents
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OPINIONS
UPS driver Scott Treadway was driving along the 5 Freeway, doing his job to transport goods. On that day, he did not return home.
He was involved in a tragic accident that had occurred due to reckless street racing. Street racing, or the practice of racing in public roads, has also become a problem and has risked the safety of many.
Driving is a privilege which you earn; having the privilege to drive should not be taken advantage of for the safety of the driver and others. Being able to obtain your driver’s license means that you have been deemed a safe driver, and that you are being entrusted to consistently drive safely for as long as you are on the road. For many people, this is not the case.
On Feb. 27, a street race on the 5 Freeway left three innocent victims dead. Police reports suspect that the racers went as fast as 100 miles per hour on a freeway with a speed limit of 65 to 70 miles per hour.
Treadway, who was also an alumnus of San Gabriel, was one of the victims killed during this tragedy. Vic Palacio, a friend of Treadway, believes that street racing will never have a positive outcome.
“My first loss [to street racing] was my brother-in-law’s dad,” Palacio said. “ [My second loss] was Scott. He was a great guy, played football, baseball, and excelled in both sports. My driving has changed since these accidents. I find myself constantly looking in the rear view mirror more than normally for people street racing.”
Texting and driving has also become an issue that has jeopardized the safety of people. According to Texting and Distracted Driving Safety, 52 percent of Americans have confessed to talking on a cell phone while driving, while 34 percent have texted while driving. While some feel confident about texting while driving, an alarming amount of accidents occur involving texting and driving. The Huffington Post was able to gather statistics on Americans who text and drive, and found that at least nine Americans are killed every day. In addition, driving and using a cellphone increases the chances of an accident by four times.
Driving irresponsibly has an impact on not only the drivers, but others who may be unsuspecting or abide to the rules of the road. Innocent lives are lost and people are hurt by the reckless and harmful activity. Drivers should have at least the courtesy to have regards for not only their lives, but also others’ lives for the chance that not paying attention to the road, texting and driving, and street racing could potentially kill innocent people.
