Community Corner
Letter to the Editor: Imploring Drivers to Slow Down
Writer requests drivers to slow down and put down cell phones.
Dear Editor:
I am writing this letter to remind everyone we have started another school year and with this come heavy pedestrian traffic – children waiting for buses, walking to and from school and playing outdoors. I am appealing to the residents of West Hartford to put their phones down, pay attention while they are behind the wheel and stop speeding! I am personally frustrated by what I see in my own neighborhood on a daily basis – cars speeding down side streets with no regard for the safety of children playing nearby. It is with this in mind that I’d like to point out some very interesting and eye opening statistics about the dangerous of not driving safely.
If you are traveling at 35 mph it will take 20 yards for you to stop.(Arachnoid.com)
Find out what's happening in West Hartfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Speeding really does not save you any time.( http://mindyourdecisions.com/blog/2011/09/30/how-much-time-does-speeding-save/ )
You will save only 1.14 minutes for every 10 MPH over the speed limit if you were to travel for 10 miles.
Find out what's happening in West Hartfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
STOP at the Stop Sign how much time are you really saving by rolling a Stop Sign?
Government statistics show distracted driving contributes to as much as 20 percent of all fatal crashes. Cell phones are the main distraction. .( http://www.caranddriver.com/features/texting-while-driving-how-dangerous-is-it)
On average, texting causes drivers to look away from the road for 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, the vehicle travels the length of an entire football field - including both end zones - while the driver isn’t looking.( http://www.caranddriver.com/features/texting-while-driving-how-dangerous-is-it)
Driving a vehicle while texting is six times more dangerous than driving while intoxicated, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (http://distracteddriveraccidents.com/texting-driving-dangerous-drunk-driving/)
Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town. Sensible driving is also safer for you and others, so you may save more than gas money. (http://autos.aol.com/article/slow-down-save-gas/)
So with these facts in mind, put down your cell phone, leave a little earlier and make the streets safer. “Drive like your children live here.”
Sincerely,
Dennis Swanton
74 Keeney Ave
West Hartford CT 06107
September 5, 2013Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
