College is supposed to be a period in your life where you try and experience things that you’ve never done before. Regrettably, these experiences can have the unfortunate consequence of increasing car accident risks to alarmingly high numbers in college towns.
Dangerous Yet Common Student Actions That Cause Tragic Accidents
If you live near Montgomery College, or any college, you know how frustrating it is to drive near campus when thousands of students are wandering around, paying little to no attention to the world around them. You may also not be surprised to find out that college towns have the most incidents of fatal car accidents involving victims between the ages of 18 and 25. Unfortunately, these accidents—that harm both students and local drivers—are mostly caused by the irresponsible, poor, and negligent actions of the students themselves.
These dangerously common behaviors include:
- Crossing the street while distracted. College classes can be extremely stressful, and many students use the time between classes to look over notes, schedules and check emails—even when this time is also spent crossing streets and walking from class to class.
- Sightseeing. Many students are new to the area and instead of paying attention to traffic, they’re looking at the scenery.
- Not getting enough sleep. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 58 percent of college freshman do not get enough sleep to fully function, increasing their risks for disastrous driving and walking accidents.
- Not paying attention. Anxiousness, naiveté, and arrogance can cause students to not pay attention to traffic laws, expecting cars to stop for them if needed.
- Drinking and driving. Nearly 72 percent of underage college students drink.
- Inexperienced driving or being unaware of bike and traffic laws. The increased presence of bikers and young drivers can become confusing, irritating and congestive.
Protecting Yourself After a Collegiate Car Disaster
College is and should be a time of excitement and exploration, but when you allow these distractions to put yourself and others in danger—your excitement can quickly turn into tragedy. Don’t allow your decisions and behavior to affect your safety or cause an accident. You can still have the college experience without potentially putting lives at risk, especially your own. Stay safe and remember that your decisions and choices can have disastrous consequences.
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