Colliding into consequences

KIANA GEoRGE

School just ended, and you’re navigating your car through the chaotic streets of Belmont, trying to be cautious of the hundreds of roaming elementary, middle school, and high schoolers, bicyclists, and parents.

The traffic is bumper-to-bumper, and the car in front of you abruptly stops. You react just a split second too late, and all of a sudden, BAM! Even the most minor dents and scratches can cost several thousand dollars to repair. The alternative is to use your insurance, but then the fees skyrocket through the roof.

More than a handful of new Carlmont drivers have been through this same experience. This is the reality of the Carlmont car crash epidemic.

According to the Safety Transportation division of the Centers for Disease Control, the risk of motor vehicle crashes is much higher among teens aged 16–19 than among any other age group. In fact, per mile driven, teen drivers in this age group are nearly three times as likely as drivers aged 20 or older to be in a fatal crash.

We are fortunate that in our Carlmont community, there have been no fatal accidents due to car crashes. However, many newly licensed drivers have faced being rear-ended or have been the cause of minor fender benders.

One Carlmont senior describes the events leading up to her crash.

“I was stopped in traffic, and I was looking at my GPS display to change the music, and I began to drive again without looking up in front of me. Before I knew it, I had rear-ended the car in front of me,” said senior Lexi Romanowsky.

Romanowsky is still dealing with the repercussions of the crash, as she is still suffering financial consequences from the crash.

“Luckily, I was insured at the time of the accident, but I still needed to use my own money [to pay the deductible] to cover the costs. Because the accident was my fault, there was also an increased amount of money for my insurance plan each month, and I am still paying this difference as well,” Romanowsky said.

Even when the accident is not their fault, Carlmont students still have to navigate through the sometimes complex process of working through the insurance and numerous communications with the person involved in the crash to manage inspections, documentation of the course of events, and evidence of damage. In addition, the impact of getting into crashes puts Scots at risk of facing serious injury.

“I felt extremely stressed because the other guy who was a part of the crash was saying that it was my fault even though it wasn’t. I was scared about the expenses, and during this, my hand was bleeding uncontrollably,” said Belinda Lewis,* a sophomore.

According to the National Institutes of Health, most car crashes involving teens occur in the first three months of the student getting their license. Another possible reason for the surge in accidents is that after returning to school after remote learning for over a year, students are not accustomed to the dense, chaotic traffic situation around the campus before and after school.

After the crashes, many students took time to learn from their mistakes and have adjusted their driving methods to be more cautious on the road.

“After the crash, I’m extra aware of my stopping distance, and I don’t start moving the car until I look up. For example, if I need to check the directions or change the song on my GPS display, I make sure that I take the measure to do so in increments. First, I come to a full stop. Second, I look at the screen, Third, I look back at the road in front of me, and fourth, I begin driving again,” Romanowsky said.

*Person wishes to be kept anonymous to protect their repuation

KIANA GEoRGE