Why?
Simple.
I had a little girl, about six, run out from in front of a parked car in our subdivision not fifteen minutes ago. Right in front of my car. I wasn't speeding, but the speed limit in our, and most subdivisions, is still 30 MPH. That is fast enough to kill a child. Instantly.
I managed to not hit her because she was able to reverse herself pretty quickly. If she hadn't, she'd be under my car. Not a pretty picture is it? I stopped about three feet ahead of where she popped out from. I could talk to her almost directly from my passenger window. That's a lot of car to stop.
Figure this out. A 1700lb vehicle versus a 30lb child. Who do you think would win?
Don't let your children risk themselves in this way. I am constantly aware of the kids around here because there are so many, but people cutting through our subdivisions don't. People who aren't familiar with the times schools let out don't. Accept that you are the only force to teach your children this valuable and life saving common sense action.
Please keep your children safe.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
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13 comments:
Last summer I was witness to a hit and run with a little girl. I was the only one on the street that offered to bring the girl to emergency. Shows how caring some people are. Good news is she was fine, just very shaken.
Yikes!! Bet that scared about ten years off of your life. Same thing happened to me on Halloween night -- dark street, dark night, kid in dark clothes ran right in front of me. I was crawling, though, about 10 MPH and stopped in time, but OMG.
I'm so glad yours had a happy ending, too.
Look at the bright side. You know both your heart and you brakes work.
Seriously, glad everything turned out okay.
Oh my gosh, Diana, how scary. I know you must have been shaken. So glad it turned out well.
I can't even begin to tell you the horror that comes from hitting a pedestrian. A few years ago, while driving home from work in the middle of the night, a man stepped directly into the path of my car. There was no way to avoid him. I couldn't even hit my brakes before I hit him.
He was intoxicated, with a blood alcohol more than three times the legal limit. A witness told the police that he never even looked before crossing the street. For weeks I couldn't pass that spot without my heart racing.
He lived, thank God. But, I will never forget that night. In a bizarre series of coincidences, his first name is my last name and he was exactly 5 years younger than me. Tomorrow is his 30th birthday.
This happens on my street WAYYYYYY too often.
Sorry you had to go through that.
So glad everything turned out OK for you and the child.
A number of years ago I witnessed a little girl get hit in front of church. She ran out from between two parked cars. The lady that hit her never even knew it, until some of the men from church ran out into the street to stop her. The child was so little that the lady driving couldn't see her.
So, just as Diana says, please,please look out for children. Drive as if each and every one of them were your own.
Theresa
Oh man, that's a reminder for our children, but also for us as drivers. I'm so glad you were both able to sidestep that potential horrible incident.
Oh Diana! My heart goes out to you. I glad everything is all right and I hope you are all right too.
-Tara
Thanks again for the reminder, Diana. I try as much as possible to be with the kids when they are out on the street, but something like this nearly happened to my stepson a few years ago. I swear we aged a decade in a flash of a second when we heard that.
It's a good reminder for us drivers too. Always go slow in cities and streets, around school.
Hugs
Z(Aasiyah/Nolwynn)
My cousin Elisha's daughter got hit when a car was going to fast and didn't stop in time. Thank goodness she lived but she was badly hurt and had to be taken by helicopter to a trauma center.
She's recovered now but is very self conscious about her looks. A lot of teeth were knocked out. She still needs some reconstructive work on her mouth.
I have another cousin who worked for a county morgue driving the removal car (yeah, going to the scene and picking up the body). She said that on one Halloween she removed 31 children by the end of the night. It was the worst night at work ever for her. Kids just do not always look! They dart out from between parked cars to cross the street.
I almost hit a kid once who did just that. I knew kids stood in that area because it was a bus stop so I always drove really slow past there. Thank goodness I did. If I had been going the speed limit, I would have hit him. His ball or hackey sack got kicked out into the street and he darted right out after it without looking first. It took a LONG time for my heartbeat to slow down to normal.
The thing that really pissed me off about that was there were a few parents standing out there with other kids and NOT ONE of them said anything to the boy about running out in the road! Granted, it's not their kid but you'd think a simple "LOOK OUT!" or "STAY BACK!" would have been appropriate!
Carpe Noctem,
Des
Desirée Lee
Putting the Romance Back in Necromancy
http://www.desireelee.com
des@desireelee.com
Luckily, we're very rural but when we're in a town, I'm constantly after my kids to pay attention to what's around them when on the sidewalk, in parking lots, and when they cross streets.
This is vital stuff. And to that end, our pets also depend on us to know best. Never let dogs run free. Always keep them on a leash. I've dragged two dogs off of major boulevards (after listening to brakes squeal as drivers tried to avoid hitting them). The owners let their pets run loose on the streets, endangering them and anyone unlucky enough to not see them in time.
And while most people believe cats are safer, an indoor cat lives years longer and in better health than one allowed to run free.
Please, let's keep our loved ones safe...
--Chiron
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