Speed Kills

Last week two young men lost their lives in a high speed chase. Officers saw their car racing at a high rate of speed and gave chase. At some point (I think it's when the escaping car is moving at a speed considered too dangerous for bystanders) the chase was called off. Moments later the young men's car went out of control and crashed, killing both men.

Now the grieving parents are searching for a scapegoat and, you guessed it, blame the police. I hope they'll reconsider once the initial shock of losing their children has worn off. It's sadly apparent that the culprits were the young men and not an officer of the law who was doing his job to protect the public at large.

We take our cars and our driving skill for granted but it only takes a momentary lapse of attention or ability and that car can easily become a speeding missile. The men who died probably thought they'd outrace a speeding ticket and ended up losing their lives instead.

A few years ago I was driving along a major highway at slightly over the speed limit when I heard a strange "ping" from one of the tires. Being the cautious person I am, I slowed down just a bit to listen more closely. Suddenly there was a tremendous bang and I amost lost control of my steering...the right front tire had blown out. I'll never forget how I had to manhandle the steering wheel just in order to get onto the shoulder of the road. If I'd been driving just 10 miles per hour faster I doubt I could have managed.

Another interesting story...last month I was again driving along a major highway and keeping up with traffic in the center lane. The inside and center lanes were pretty well bumper to bumper traffic but the outside lane was empty. A huge tractor trailer moved up behind me and the driver decided to tailgate me instead of passing in the outside lane. I can only guess that he was just bored and having a bit of dangerous fun or he simply didn't want to move into the outside lane.

I ignored him as best I could but the reality of a huge truck just inches away from my little car proved too much for me. I put my empty hand down on the seat next to me and then raised my closed fist up to my ear and pretended to be talking on a cell phone. Within moments the truck driver had backed way off and settled into the inside lane as far back from me as possible. He thought I was reporting him and that's what should be done to all tailgaters.

If I had to brake or even slow down while that truck was so close to me it would have mowed me down and caused a horrible accident which probably would have included many of the cars around us. Was his fun worth the loss of life...maybe even his own?

When we're speeding along the highway inside our cars it's like being in a cocoon and we tend to forget what a tangled mess of metal will do to our fragile bodies.

The families of the young men who died can't face how quickly their loved ones were taken away from them and they can't accept that their sons were responsible for their own fate. Blaming the police may be a diversion for their pain but it isn't fair.

What I'd like to see is one of those parents speak to high school students and explain to them how one reckless moment in a speeding car can end their lives...and leave their parents to grieve.