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IN-DEPTH
Echo Wednesday, September 27, 2017
There’s lots of things that can distract you and that really confusing, so it’s good to pay attention. Victoria Judson, senior
Losing focus at the wh Distracted driving brought home Atticus Raasch & Alex Balfour atticusraasch@slpecho.com alexbalfour@slpecho.com
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yes set on the road, senior Katie Fredrickson can’t see why students would choose to focus on their phones while driving. “Everyone goes on their phone. I’m in the car with people all the time and they’re on their phones while driving. I don’t want anyone that I care about to not come home,” Fredrickson said. According to the Hennepin County police report Officer William Mathews, a Wayzata police officer, was struck and killed by a distracted driver Sept. 8, while clearing debris from U.S. Highway 12. Officer Mathews was reported to have been walking back to his car when a Nissan Murano hit him while traveling 55 to 65 miles per hour. The driver, Beth Freeman, allegedly was using her phone moments before the accident. Officer Mathews was married to Shawn Mathews, assistant athletic director and had a 7-year-old son, Wyatt. Following the death of Officer Mathews, Fredrickson said she created a petition to aid in passing a piece of legislature to further the legal punishment for distracted driving.
What is distracted driving
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AA driving instructor Mike Torkelson said distracted driving stems obsessions with phones. “The (distracted driving) problem comes with the fact that so many people are constantly on our phones,” Torkelson said. “We have them with us and it can get to the point where it just becomes an extension of ourselves.” According to police liaison Pam Gronski, personal interactions and phone use are the leading causes of teen car accidents. “The most common forms of distraction leading up to a crash by a teen driver are actually interacting with other people in the car,” Gronski said. “That is the most, quickly followed by cell phones.” Gronski said students are in such a hurry that they often neglect personal safety.
“A lot of kids point A to point practice,’ ‘I have to my job,’; they they’re going,” G ers) don’t tend to they might be ea or texting their f or ‘I’m on my wa much more activ
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redrickson sa ing. “(The bill) puts e said. “It also add Senior Kate B while driving, esp “I think (the p your mind that y your phone is a w tempted, I go bac Junior Bryan “Pretty much eve and changing the According to while on the road “I know that new technologica son said.