Distracted Driving Is Deadly

In light of the recent hit-and run death of 26-year-old Kristy Bender on Township Line Road in Limerick, it bears acknowledging that our driving speeds and habits have become deadly. We are busy, so we speed. We are multi-tasking so we eat, talk or text on the cell, etc., etc., etc. Many people drive this way every day, and there are few people, author included, who would deny that we push the speed limit every now and then. At the same time, going a few miles over the speed limit is very different than blowing a stop sign, failing to yield, especially when exiting a 422 off ramp, flat out ignoring posted speed limits or driving while impaired. Maybe we even ask ourselves, “What’s the worst that could happen?”  Well, I think Wednesday April 27^th showed us just what we should expect.  

There may or may not have been a problem with speed, in the case of the death of Kristy Bender. But, judging from the evidence as collected and reported so far as related in yesterday’s Pottstown Mercury (see the bottom of the page for the link to the article), there certainly may have been issues of impaired driving. I’m appalled by the idea that anyone could be so cold as to leave the scene of any accident, but especially one where it’s pretty obvious that a person has been seriously injured.  In this case, Kristy was not just hurt, she was killed. No charges have been brought against the hit-and-run driver, identified as 74-year-old Patricia Maurer, as of yet.

Now, I’m sure there will be those who suggest Township Line Road is not designed for jogging or walking or anything but driving. I would be inclined to agree that it is not the safest road to either walk or jog along, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t or shouldn’t just because people drive on it.  When we get into a car, we are assuming responsibility for a one ton plus mass of mechanical parts, metal and plastic, that has the capacity to be a deadly weapon.  That responsibility means we need to pay attention, stay off our cellphones, and whatever else may impair our driving, and focus on the road in front of us.  There just might be a person, or an animal, or an accident, or any of the many, many things we are lucky enough to not usually encounter in a day. But, because we tend to get comfortable and careless, we forget that our actions, and, as a result, our method of transport, can very easily become deadly.

The link to the Mercury's article: http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/05/13/news/doc4dcd873141322728755554.txt?viewmode=default