Lt. Hungler of the Cincinnati Police Department notes, “As traffic safety professionals, police officers work to raise public awareness of the importance of always buckling up, driving responsibly, and not drinking and driving. But in just one moment, in the blink of an eye, the world can be turned upside down by a crash. Driving is one of the biggest responsibilities that a person will ever have. A driver is responsible for him or herself, and also for all passengers in the vehicle. They have to share responsibilities with other drivers and with pedestrians. “
Ohio has recently experienced several horrific crashes claiming numerous lives. On Saturday March 15 a crash on State Route 603 near Mansfield in Richland County claimed five lives. Just before 3:00 a.m. on March 15 a crash in western Mercer County claimed a total of four lives. Two separate crashes left nine people dead and countless others impacted by these tragedies.
In a recent letter published in the Asbury Park (NJ) Press, Dr. Felix Garcia explained why trauma center personnel as well as those in law enforcement refer to traffic collisions as “crashes” and not “accidents.” Dr. Garcia is director of the regional trauma center at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, and he wrote to comment on the paper’s editorial about proposed changes to a New Jersey roadway and enforcement of traffic laws on the roadways:
“The 23 deaths reported last year are unacceptable because, for the most part, they are preventable. The impact of those untimely losses lingers forever in the memories of families, friends and other victims that may have been fortunate to survive.
In the field of trauma, we refer to these collisions as crashes, not accidents, because they are largely preventable. If the announced law enforcement and engineering plans proceed, they are small sacrifices compared to the pain our community will be spared because of these improvements.
However, law enforcement and safety engineering is only part of the solution. It is also the responsibility of all of us who travel on these roads to respect the laws and each other.”
Dr. Garcia’s point is well stated. Advances in medical technology have been numerous and often amazing, but they cannot really undo the devastation caused by reckless driving. Lieutenant Hungler agrees with the conclusion of the trauma surgeon: “There can be zero tolerance for the devastating disabilities and loss of life that result from reckless driving. It is up to all of us to work together with law and traffic enforcement to avoid these preventable tragedies.”
