As any high school student going for their driver’s license knows, along with the newfound freedom that comes with operating a car comes a lot of responsibility. That is why it is particularly alarming that there have been a rash of vehicular accidents right in our own “backyard.” Kiki Gregware, a local resident and a PMHS parent, was struck by a car on the night of November 29 on her way to teacher conferences. On November 21, a two-car motor vehicle accident occurred on the corner of Colonial Avenue and Wolfs Lane at 1:40 p.m. On January 22, a middle schooler on their bicycle was hit by a car near the Picture House. This rash of recent incidents has some concerned about traffic safety around the school.

Gregware’s accident occurred at the corner of Corlies and Colonial as she was walking to the school at night. It was dark, and the car involved in the accident rolled through the stop sign, failing to stop for her as she crossed the street in the crosswalk. On impact, Gregware was thrown five feet in front of the car, causing her to suffer injuries to her jaw. Weeks later, her knee is still swollen and her body bruised. Local parents who were also heading to their conferences rushed into action to help Mrs. Gregware, calling the police and an ambulance that took her to the hospital.
“You always have to be alert, and you can’t get complacent. Traffic signals and stop signs are there for the protection of the driver and for pedestrians. Really, you can never be too cautious,” Gregware said. …..According to Pines Salomon, a top-rated personal injury attorney, car accidents are much more common at night than during the day, stating that despite the fact that there’s 60 percent less traffic on the roads, more than 40 percent of all fatal car accidents occur at night.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than half of accidents at one and two-way stop signs involve the same basic pattern — a vehicle that is required to stop does not, or it stops and fails to yield, and then collides with another vehicle or pedestrian traveling across the intersection.

During the day, crossing guards are stationed around the school area to keep pedestrians safe from the morning rush of traffic in town, as people make their way to work and school. However, at night, there is no third party to account for pedestrian and driver responsibility. Each time you take your eyes off the road, you have become a distracted driver. This level of attention needed only intensifies at night when it gets dark out, or in foul weather.

It was raining on November 21, the day of the two-car crash at the corner of Colonial Avenue and Wolfs Lane. This tragic event occurred during the school day, so many students witnessed the event.

“We were in Mr. Sans’ room when we heard the crash, and when we looked out the window we saw the car,” junior Griffin Kingsley said.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, from 2007 to 2016, there was a calculated total of 556,151 car crashes due to rain, and 860,286 car crashes due to wet pavement. Both were factors in the accident that took place.

While nothing good ever comes from an accident, perhaps these incidents should serve as a wakeup call to new drivers. 16-year-olds have higher crash rates than drivers of any other age, putting PMHS students at risk on the road. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, at least nine people are killed every day because of a distracted driver. In addition, in 2015, 42 percent of teens say they have texted while driving — and texting and driving is the leading cause of death in teens. New York State law states that it is illegal to talk on a hand-held mobile telephone, compose, send, read, access, browse, transmit, save, or retrieve electronic data such as e-mail, text messages, or webpages, as well as viewing, taking, or transmitting images and playing games.

“I think you just have to remember that there are some bad drivers out there, and you have to keep your wits about you while on the road,” junior Biddy Comerford said.

In our small-town community, people may often get very comfortable driving as they think they know the streets well, but statistics show that there are stop signs there and traffic laws for a reason: to keep pedestrians and people in other cars safe.