On Oct 12, 2002 a 23-year-old graduate of U of T was struck and killed by an out-of-control SUV while walking down Richmond St. That incident is just one example of the reckless driving trend sweeping Toronto and other parts of Canada.
Young people in particular are frequently involved in traffic accidents. But there seems to be a huge discrepancy between the number of young people getting into accidents, and the amount of effort on campus to prevent them.
According to Sergeant Ted Holtzheuser, head of Traffic Services for the Toronto police, “2,200 pedestrians are struck annually, which works out to six per day.” He says that the main cause of accidents is aggressive driving by people who are unable to manage their time properly or control their temper. “Young people,” Holtzheuser stated, “tend to get into accidents because they tend to drive faster.”
According to the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals “adolescent drivers have always been and continue to be over-involved in road injury collisions.”
Reckless driving falls under the broader category of impaired driving. Impairment is not exclusively related to alcohol; it can also refer to drivers affected by strong emotions such as anger, impatience and stress.
Despite the prevalence of reckless driving in Toronto, its relative absence from the immediate campus vicinity means it is overlooked by U of T police. U of T police’s Staff Sergeant, Sam D’Angelo, said that the incidence of accidents on campus is “very low,” and that “we haven’t had any complaints.” D’Angelo said that Toronto Traffic is called in the event of any serious traffic problems. In terms of increasing student awareness of reckless driving, D’Angelo stated that “Traffic accidents are not enough of an issue at this point in time to warrant an educational program.” While it may be true that campus traffic accidents are rare, students themselves are at high risk of getting into collisions.
If young people are both the victims and the perpetrators of road accidents it seems odd that campus awareness of these incidents is so low-even nonexistent. There are no student groups dedicated to the cause of impaired driving, and Student Affairs also lacks any information or programs about driving.
Furthermore, neither U of T at Mississauga, nor U of T at Scarborough offers any clubs or programs committed to safe driving. U of T is not alone, either. York University and Ryerson University both lack any student services promoting safe driving.
Perhaps part of the problem is that although students are inundated with information when they are granted their licenses, they are not obliged to keep learning about safe driving as they get older. Everybody professes a sound knowledge of the road until they or one of their friends is involved in a serious car accident.
Certainly, every student knows how it feels to do poorly on an exam or get into a heated argument with a friend. But, how many students actually consider not driving when these emotions are affecting their behavior?
With so little attention being given to such a serious issue, it is no wonder students are ill prepared to avoid car crashes. Considering the statistics, it seems students can no longer afford to keep ignoring the road.
