No matter how we travel, we all must focus on safety

You’re late for work, so you press the gas pedal a little harder than usual.

You get a call and look around frantically to see where you put your phone, bending over to reach for it on the passenger floorboard.

You get bored and start thumbing through your music or podcast app, searching for something to listen to.

You’re thinking about the argument you had with your parents before leaving the house and absentmindedly step into the street without looking.

All of these scenarios can have deadly consequences, and the worst part is they’re well within our control.

We’ve all heard the warning: “It can happen in an instant.” But unless you’ve been in a car crash, you probably don’t realize just how true it really is. So, as we mark the end of the second week of classes in Laramie County School District 1, let’s spend a few minutes thinking about the ways we travel, our potentially dangerous habits and how we can give more attention to safety — for ourselves and those around us.

Let’s start with one of the first things we learned to do in life: walking. Most of us probably remember a teacher telling us the three words that would keep us safe when walking to and from school — Stop, Look and Listen. It was drilled into our heads from the first day of kindergarten to stop and stand several feet from the edge of a curb or roadway, look carefully in all directions and listen for traffic before crossing.

Parents (and grandparents), please teach your children these tips, as well as the importance of using crosswalks; not rushing out into the street for a runaway ball or because they slept in and are running late; and never assuming a driver has seen them until a vehicle comes to a complete stop. Thankfully, Cheyenne has some wonderful school crossing guards, but they’re not going to be there in every situation, so teaching kids these basic safety tips is critical.

Next, most of us probably learned at some point to ride a bicycle. Yet, as we watch some cyclists around town, it seems a few of us missed the basic rules of the road when engaging in two-wheeled, self-propelled transportation.

The rule we see violated most frequently is that bicyclists are supposed to ride on the right-hand side of the roadway (preferably in a bike lane, if there is one), traveling in the same direction as motorized vehicles. Also, when you come to an intersection, you don’t have the right of way — you must yield. And if you want to change lanes, you have to yield to the traffic that’s already in the lane you want to use. (For these and other traffic laws related to cyclists, visit The League of American Bicyclists’ website, bikeleague.org/bike-laws/traffic-laws.)

Lastly, most of us graduated from pedal power to something with an engine, whether that be a motorcycle, car or truck.

Probably the biggest problem is distractions caused by smartphones and other devices. As their use has become more common, we tend to get more confident (reckless?), thinking we can multi-task safely. But when we shift our attention from outside our windshield to a screen to look for someone’s number, navigate to our destination or search for our favorite tunes to listen to, our ability to react quickly is compromised.

(Also, it’s illegal within Cheyenne city limits to use a mobile phone when driving unless it’s with a hands-free device or to call for emergency services. The misdemeanor offense carries a fine of up to $750.)

Another factor in several recent crashes in Wyoming was driver fatigue. On Aug. 26, someone driving an SUV failed to see a motorcycle that had slowed to 35 mph on Horse Creek Road to make a turn. This rear-end crash resulted in the motorcycle rider being separated from their bike and suffering serious injuries (thankfully, they were wearing a helmet). Being tired is as dangerous as being drunk — pull over, nod off, then go again.

Of course, it wouldn’t be back-to-school time in the capital city without hearing bus drivers talk on their radios about people “running (their) reds.” How did anyone get a driver’s license without learning to stop both behind and facing a school bus when the red lights are flashing and the stop arm is extended?

The bottom line is we all need to slow down, be alert and stay focused on the task at hand. Because the old adage is true: It can happen in an instant, but the fallout lasts a lifetime.