Driving is the Most Dangerous Thing You’ll Do Today
Having a car is a serious responsibility: driving is “the most dangerous thing most Americans do every day.” Our campus is a pedestrian area: students, guests, monks, and faculty walk its roads. There are also new and numerous obstacles and some blind spots.
To keep everyone who makes use of Belmont Abbey safe, it’s important to practice safe driving by doing the following:
Stay off your phone while driving:
Distracted driving accidents kill nine people every day. Pedestrians use all roads on campus, so it’s important to pay attention. Distracted driving can also be a factor in other accidents, which can damage the campus, and your car, and put your life at risk. Texting—even briefly—is dangerous. Stay off your phone.
Come to a complete stop at stop signs:
Stop sign violations account for most car crashes. Almost every intersection on campus has a stop sign. At the sign you must come to a complete stop, irrespective of how busy the roads are. “Rolling stops,” are illegal, and if you get into an accident as a result, you will be legally and financially responsible.
Follow the speed limit (20mph):
You’re driving faster than you think you are! If you speed, you are more likely to strike a pedestrian and more likely to injure them fatally: every 1% increase in speed increases the chances of fatal impact by 4%. We share our roads with people, it’s important to preserve their safety by never speeding.
Watch for pedestrians and obstacles:
As noted above, pedestrians share our roads. Also, obstacles present on our roads (such as the new gates) can change. Also, overfamiliarity can lead to “inattention blindness” where one becomes so comfortable that they cease to pay sufficient attention to the road. This is why people are more likely to get into accidents close to their homes.
Keep yourself and everyone on this campus safe.
Remain vigilant and focused when driving on campus.
