Saturday, March 27 at around 10:30 p.m. a car of four girls was hit head-on by a drunk driver on Bridgetown Pike. Four girls that attend Neshaminy and play an active role in our community. Just Yesterday at around 3:00 p.m. a man was hit on his bike which was then launched a hundred feet in front of him; he died at the scene. 

Car accidents, fatal ones at that are nothing new to the community and around the world. However, the recent spike in local accidents and close encounters have a lot of perspective to offer the community we live in about practicing safer driving habits. 

Julia Barth, a Neshaminy junior who’s very close with the girls in the accident, spoke on the subject. 

 “I think it just goes to show that everything can change in a minute and your actions do have consequences. These were the least deserving girls so to see their lives changed by a stupid decision should really show that the community needs to do better”, Barth said. 

After conducting a study on Instagram, it was recorded that 79% of local teenagers have been in a car crash or have had a close call. With this increasing problem, comes an increasing amount of needed responsibility to ensure that our community stays safe in what’s often a preventable problem. Here are some practices to aid in safe driving:

-Put your phone in your glove box or in the cushion next to you. Refrain from checking it at red lights. Instead, wait until you are parked.

-Keep your music at a reasonable level so that you can hear what’s going on around you better. 

-If you’re in the car with friends and you find yourself in a tight spot, don’t be afraid to ask them to be quieter for the moment until you safely merge/get out of the anxiety-provoking area. 

-Make sure your mirrors are adjusted perfectly to accommodate your size and height so that you can see everything more easily. 

-When switching lanes, always double-check your blindspot. 

-Watch your following distance. Keeping distance from the person in front of you can save you from rear-ending someone!

For more information on techniques for safe driving visit Toyota’s safe driving resources website https://www.teendrive365inschool.com/safe-driving-resources