Stay Alert, Stay Alive
Memorial Day, 2014
is the day that changed Roger’s life. He and his friends decided to play hide and
go seek outside. In between two cars was the perfect hiding spot for Roger. Most
of his friends were found and were chasing each other trying not to get tagged.
Roger decided he couldn’t wait any longer so he dashed across the street.
Before he knew it, a car hit him and threw him up and over the hood. Roger’s friends were in utter shock at what they just witnessed. Roger began
to have seizures. He had difficulty breathing, was bleeding, and was in extreme
pain. I saw the ambulance take Roger to the hospital because I was the driver
of the car that hit him. This experience left such a mark on my life I created
a program called Stay Alert, Stay Alive.
Stay Alert, Stay
Alive educates both pedestrians and drivers on how to improve traffic safety.
Unintentional pedestrian injuries are the fifth leading cause of injury related
deaths for children ages 5-19. A pedestrian injury occurs every eight minutes
in the United States. The maturity level of children under 10 years old makes
them less able to correctly gauge streets for dangers. Auto-pedestrian
accidents have risen 36% since 2010 because of distracted driving. These
distractions range from passengers, to cell phones, to changing the radio
station. It takes a half of a second for an accident to happen. Stay Alert,
Stay Alive is designed to raise the awareness among teens of the real negative
consequences of distracted driving. Teen drivers account for nearly half of all
child pedestrian deaths. The compounding problem with teen driving is speeding.
Driving at a speed over 30 miles per hour can cause a fatal crash. Educating
and enforcing basic traffic rules for pedestrians and drivers results in a
significant improvement in traffic safety. Safe Kids Tulsa Area is an
organization I have partnered with that advocates for child safety on a local,
state and national level. Safe Kids and Stay Alert, Stay Alive share the
foundational belief that improving traffic safety is essential to keeping our
kids safe and protected.
Through Stay Alert, Stay Alive I plan on going
into schools and educating students of all ages on the importance of safety on
the streets. When I speak with grade school students, we start with three
things: look both ways before crossing the street, keep eye contact with drivers
when crossing streets, and stay alert even when you think you are safe. I also speak
about the importance of wearing bright clothing when playing outside, and the
importance of sidewalk safety. When I speak with high school students, I
educate them about distracted driving, blinker awareness, and speeding. Stay Alert, Stay Alive also has a parent education
component. Research shows that parents and educators speak to young people less
about traffic safety as they grow older.
Preventable accidents are preventable and we can help keep our friends
and family safe by teaching, learning, and practicing simple, yet powerful
traffic safety guidelines.
Thankfully, Roger was able to come home and have
an enjoyable summer with his friends. Other children are not as lucky. If I had
been going over the speed limit, distracted by my phone, or generally not
paying attention, our accident would have ended much worse. The job of serving
as a titleholder is a responsibility I take seriously. I am passionate about
child safety and look forward to sharing my message of Stay Alert, Stay Alive.
