West Plains students were involved in a three way collision by the Circle K at 8 a.m. on October 20, 2023. It is important to build awareness of safe driving within the West Plains community.
The West Plains school officer, Adam Gutierrez, emphasizes that safe driving can save lives. ”You need to drive safely, pay attention to other drivers, and obey all traffic laws,” said Officer Gutierrez. “Safe driving can save your life and others too.”
“I take precautions by being aware, and you can be more safe by paying attention to the road and staying off your phone,” says junior Alli Kelly.
Ways to stay safe while driving includes wearing your seatbelt, watching the signs and lights, and decreasing distractions. According to the Texas Department of Transportation , there were 484 people fatal wrecks involving distracted driving in 2022. This is an 11.01% increase from 2021. Of all deaths occurring from crashes in which seat belt statistics were able to be gathered, 48.03% were reported as not restrained when the deathly crash took place. How to prevent this? Stay safe by paying attention to surroundings, limiting distractions, and wearing your seatbelt. You never know when a small decision might save your life or other’s.
