Schools are beginning to let out for the summer, so this is probably as good a time as any to start talking about the realities of teen driving. The summer months, in large part because of the lack of structure and schedule that many of these teens enjoy, are the most dangerous for them. The carefree days of summer sometimes carry over to the way they drive. Add to that the occasional party and it’s a recipe for disaster. The Council of Governments says that just about 1 in 8 alcohol-related fatalities on the roads involved those under 21.
If you are a parent, here’s something to consider: If there is a party at your house where teens are drinking, YOU could be legally liable even if you aren’t aware the party was being held.
The Washington Regional Alcohol Program has a number of tips on its Web site (www.wrap.org) to help you help your teen. Nobody wants to get that phone call in the middle of the night that could change their lives forever.
National Dump the Pump Day
I’m surprised this idea didn’t come sooner — a “National Dump the Pump Day.” This idea is not coming from a group of angry citizens who are sick of paying higher and higher prices at the pumps while gas companies report record profits; it’s coming from those who support the use of transit.
The American Public Transportation Association and the Surface Transportation Policy Project are encouraging people to leave their cars in the driveway and to take public transportation on Thursday, June 8. This might be a good chance for you to figure out if transit is an option for your commute. Go to Metro’s Web site (www.WMATA.com) or to the Arlington County transportation site (www.commuterpage.org) and use their trip planners to figure out the best way there and back.
You might find that it’s easy and that it saved you a good deal of money. What have you got to lose but another trip to the gas station?
Failure to yield to pedestrian: Citation
The District has already seen eight pedestrians killed on its streets this year, and the city is doing something about it. Officials from the transportation and police departments have been conducted pedestrian safety checkpoints recently and it seems like they’ve had some success. One crackdown was at the dangerous intersection of Brandywine and South Capitol streets in Southeast.
In a four-hour stretch during the midday, they nabbed 15 motorists for speeding — the highest at 51 mph in the 30 mph zone.
Police issued seven citations for failure to yield to pedestrian in a crosswalk and arrested two drivers found to be operating a vehicle without a permit.
Four citations were issued to motorists using a cell phone while driving. Last year there were 16 pedestrians killed and the city is trying to not go any higher.
Analysis of high-pedestrian-crash intersections in the District shows that fewer than half of all drivers yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
Questions, comments, random musings? Write to [email protected] and listen to Steve’s reports on NewsTalk WMET 1160 AM every weekday at 7:30 a.m., 12:30 and 5:30 p.m.
