Distracted driving can be dangerous not only to the driver, but to the passengers and other cars around the dangerous driver. More people are becoming careless drivers and making simple mistakes that could result in serious consequences.

According to the U.S. government website for distracted driving, “an  estimated 421,000 people were injured in motor vehicle crashes due to a distracted driver.” It is rare for someone to be seriously injured in a school zone, but if distraction and carefree driving is taking place here, then who knows where else it is happening.

It is clear that not only teen drivers, but parent drivers, as well, need to go back to the basics of driving.  It is taught everywhere, and it is common sense that you look both ways before you go, right? Well, apparently that is now optional or drivers are just too distracted on their cell phones or talking to their passengers.

According to the Pittsburgh Post, 82 percent of people in their forties now own smartphones.

This past summer, there was a new addition to Old Crystal Bay Rd. A stop sign was added on the north end of the road in between the high school and the middle school bus parking lots.

Likewise, a countless number

of people disobey the “do not enter” sign placed in the parking lot that connects the elementary school and the high school.

This sign was placed there for a purpose and to help keep everyone safe. Yes, it is kind of a dumb place for it, but it is still unlawful to enter anyway.

Parents line up outside of the high school and middle school everyday to pick up their children. Once their child gets into the car, the driver pulls out and drives away, without even looking or signaling. In some cases, if the driver almost hit you because they did not look before pulling away, they will often get mad and blame you. And we all know road rage is not the answer.

It is still a question if anyone has noticed, but the schools’ parking lots are designed to have a designated area for picking up and dropping off students.  This area is not in the student parking lots. We understand that there is quite a bit of traffic in the morning and afternoons but that is one thing you will have to deal with.

Students need to be able to get into school safe and efficiently in the morning and leave the same way.  Those parking lots are designated to the students, not to the parents picking up or dropping off their students. If  parents would use the designated area, it would decrease the amount of near crashes that happen every day and make it easier for students to enter and exit the school.

People are starting to get tricky now and are finding themselves a parking space so that their child can find them and so that the parents, yet again, do not have to wait in line.  This is super inconvenient to students because younger drivers rely on those spaces to park in right after school so they can get to sports practice or other after school activities.

Speeding tends to be an issue in the Orono area. Students are cruising through the school zone and parking lots in excessive speeds. It would be most logical to drive slowly and cautiously through a parking lot in case someone is backing up and cannot see around them, but I guess the drivers of Orono like to show everyone how fast their car goes.

Overall, drivers of all ages need to put down the distractions and focus on driving safely and following the laws for the benefit of themselves and for the benefit of other people.think, wonder, and smile about not only the good things in life, but also about what we really stand for in our life.