Editorial

Respect lives: Drive safely in new year

Can you imagine the pain and suffering experienced by those who have lost a grandparent, parent, child, friend, or neighbor in a car accident? It must be devastating for all those involved, including the driver of the vehicle.

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The year 2002 saw an increase in highway deaths in Dane County, with 53 reported in December. A recent press release from the Dane County Sheriff's Office pleaded with motorists "to use extreme caution, obey all traffic laws, and use all available safety equipment to stop the rising death toll on Dane County Highways."

Heed warning. With holiday celebrations - particularly New Year's Eve festivities - approaching, we must all heed their warning. As drivers and passengers we must do everything we can to avoid unnecessary accidents.

For drivers, this means watching alcohol consumption before driving. The best option is: don't drink and drive. Select a designated driver for holiday parties.

Make sure you and all your passengers wear their seatbelts. Many news releases from the Sheriff's Office this year revealed fewer and less serious injuries for those who buckled in.

An example was a two-vehicle accident on Dec. 6, 2002 near Madison. A woman driving a sport utility vehicle was struck by a pick-up truck. The mother was wearing her seatbelt and was not hurt; her five-month-old baby and three-year-old child avoided injury "because they were properly outfitted in child restraint seats."

Respect life issue. For us Catholics, safe driving really becomes a "respect life" issue. We must respect our own life and the lives of others.

The French Catholic bishops released a statement recently from a six-member commission that studied the rising auto accident rate in that country. The bishops said, "Thou shalt not kill - this commandment maintains its full validity for today on the roads as well. But the Gospel contains an appeal from Christ that goes even further - an appeal for conversion of our mentalities."

The French bishops suggested that parents, teachers, priests, journalists, and sports trainers - who "model the culture of the young" - should stress road safety and show "solidarity with victims."

Resolutions for new year. As the new year begins, I encourage all drivers to make a resolution to wear seatbelts, obey traffic rules (such as not running red lights - something so common in Madison), and exercise extreme caution while driving. Also insist that all passengers in your car put on a seatbelt.

We can save lives and reduce injuries by respecting lives on the road. Drive safely in 2003.

Mary C. Uhler, editor