I came across this in the Houston Chronicle. Food for thought.
NPR's Health Blog recently featured Christie Barnes, author of The Paranoid Parents Guide.
According to surveys by Barnes, these are parents' top five worries:
- Kidnapping
- School snipers
- Terrorists
- Dangerous strangers
- Drugs
And the top five actual dangers to children are:
- Car accidents
- Homicide (usually committed by a person who knows the child, not a stranger)
- Abuse
- Suicide
- Drowning
Considering that car accidents are the #1 real danger to children, I ask, "are accidents always accidents?"
Is it an "accident" if a driver was speeding, running a stop sign, following too close to the car ahead? Is it an "accident" if children are not properly buckled up while riding? Is it an "accident" if a driver is talking or texting on a phone, grooming, eating, or showing greater concern about what's on the i-pod than about paying attention to simply driving in a safe and caring manner?
The point is that much of what passes for an "accident" is not an accident at all. Traffic "incidents" often involve unsafe behaviors on the part of we as drivers ourselves. These behaviors do not have to occur. We all make choices.
What choices will you make today?
Will you buckle up everyone, every trip, every time, including yourself?
Will you Stop! Take 3 To See at every stop sign, crosswalk, and un-signalled railroad crossing?
Will you take to heart the maxim "It's Not A Race! Create Space?"
Will you choose to make driving yourself and everyone in your vehicle safely in reaching your destination(s)?
Doing each of these can save lives - our own as well as the ones we love.
Let's all Be Aware! Drive With Care
Want to make a greater difference? Visit www.KeepKidsAliveDrive25.org
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