Of the startling findings of the Hubbard County road safety audit crash profile presented Dec. 17 by the SRF Consulting Group, a few stick out.
Hubbard County drivers continue to lag behind state and national rates for using seatbelts. Resistance to seatbelt usage, while fittingly Darwinian, is ill-founded. Undeniably, the use of seatbelts saves lives.
Current research shows wearing a seatbelt reduces the chance of injury or death in a crash by 40 to 60 percent.
Law enforcement officers currently cannot stop a driver or passengers of a vehicle for not wearing seatbelts. It is time for this to change. Primary seatbelt laws improve seatbelt usage by an average of 10 percent, which could save a considerable number of lives in the long run.
Tragically, drivers between the ages of 15 and 24, are statistically the most likely demographic for crashes, and also some of the least likely to buckle up. Some students worry about their public image when choosing to not wear a safety belt. Whether or not buckling up is "cool," flying out of the windshield certainly is not.
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Young drivers in the area are even more likely to be involved in crashes than the state average. Part of the problem is inexperience while driving in adverse conditions and the desire to "hot rod." Perhaps it is time to reexamine the driver's education programs in the area and incorporate more defensive driving techniques to keep kids in control during slippery situations.
Despite the dangers of driving under the influence of chemicals, the historical analysis found crashes in the county are twice as likely to involve chemicals compared with the state average. This rate is simply unacceptable. There should be no reason to drive while intoxicated. Drunk drivers are not merely a danger to themselves, they put the lives of innocent drivers at risk. Law enforcement officials should show little leniency for this risky behavior.
The findings reinforce the community attitude toward teen drinking enunciated by the Hubbard County Youth Drug and Alcohol Task Force. It's time to support the task force goals of reducing drug and alcohol use among teens by 30 percent by 2010. Law enforcement should continue its NightCAPs (nighttime concentrated alcohol patrol) and increased enforcement at youth drinking sites. By changing attitudes about teen chemical use and improving teen driving habits, the county will save lives.
