February 2002: Are We Any Different?

Last night, a late night talk show host was discussing how his behavior had changed after September 11. He said that for a while after the attacks, he found himself driving differently – not cursing when another car cut in front of him, and sometimes even slowing down to let cars ease into his line of traffic. A multi-page ad in the New York Times last weekend summed it up this way: “On September 12, drivers waved at fellow drivers with all 5 fingers.” All of us witnessed the compassion and love that united our country on September 12. Most of us tried to ease our own pain by easing someone else’s, or at the very least, by waving to a stranger.

But largely unspoken, until now, was what happened in the five months from September 12 to February 12? The talk show host starkly announced last night that he was back to his old habits of aggressive driving. He was smug and drew laughs, boasting about his latest demonstrations of aggression and road rage while he was driving. How far have we come in the five months since September 12? It seems we are now able to make jokes about how nothing has really changed – well, other than maybe for the 3,000 grieving families.

A major concern of our leaders after September 11 was that we “get back to our lives”. Isn’t it sad that all these things – the bad and the good -- have so quickly returned to “normal”. As one expert, addressing a conference of victims’ families said, “In the days after a disaster, everybody wants to help. But that fades. People tend to say, ‘O.K., that’s enough.’”

And to what have we returned? Every day I look out from my yard and watch dozens of people aggressively breaking the law. A few days ago, as I played with my three-year-old son, I watched an elderly man walking along the street nearly get hit by a speeding car. We looked at each other speechless for a few moments. He just shook his head and said, “It’s getting worse every day! And the sad thing is, most of them live in the neighborhood!” These thoughtless drivers are not terrorists, but people like you and me, who needlessly put lives in jeopardy every day.

Although not nearly as dramatic as the WTC bombings, those who drive aggressively by speeding have killed more than 150,000 people throughout our country since 1989, killing far more than those who have died from acts of terrorism. And this group kills another 35 people every day, often killing themselves along with their innocent victims! That’s over 12,000 deaths every year -- 12,000 grieving families that could be prevented by just slowing down while driving.

Since 1989 over 500,000 people have lost their lives in traffic crashes with approximately one-third of these caused by speeding. Another 3.3 million people are injured every year in motor vehicle accidents. On average, a pedestrian is killed in a motor vehicle crash every 107 minutes; one is injured every 6 minutes!

Motor vehicle accidents are estimated to cost our country over $150 billion every year! This is in addition to the incalculable cost of human suffering and pain felt by the victims and their families.

Throughout our country, speeding in residential neighborhoods is the single largest complaint to police departments and city councils. And most speeders in your neighborhood live in your neighborhood. It is not unusual for speeders to be clocked in excess of 40 or 50 mph in a 25-mph zone.

Speeding is often a symptom of aggressive driving. These drivers use the anonymity of their automobiles to take out their frustrations on other drivers, or anyone who offends them.

In addition to speeding, some of the other symptoms of aggressive driving include:

· Disregard for traffic signals;

· Cutting off other drivers;

· Tailgating

· Weaving through traffic;

· Driving faster than surrounding traffic;

· Improper passing;

· Making obscene gestures;

· Honking horns.

You can make a difference. Reducing your speed and avoiding aggressive driving in our neighborhoods will not just reduce your chances of killing or injuring someone else or yourself, it provides an example that will encourage others do the same. Observe the 25-mile per hour speed limit in our residential neighborhoods and talk with neighbors about your concern for the safety of our children. Request our Police Department to enforce the speed limit in our neighborhoods. Request the City Council to do a traffic study to gauge the extent of the speeding in our city.

Most importantly, when you are driving and see someone walking along through the neighborhood, slow down, wave, and think about the victims of September 11, and how their deaths really did change the way we think about and live our lives.

Let’s honor the victims of September 11 by being a kinder, gentler Englewood.

Michael P. Anton

Make a Difference!

Contact our City Council and our Police Department and let them know that you are concerned about traffic safety in our neighborhoods.

The mailing address for City Councilmembers is:

City Council

2-10 North Van Brunt Street

Englewood, N.J. 07631

Our Councilmembers are:

Ward 1 Douglas M. Bern

Ward 2 Michael J. Wildes

Ward 3 Mitchell L. Rosenberg

Ward 4 Jack Drakeford

At Large Wayne Hamer

The mailing address for Police Chief David Bowman is:

Englewood Police Department

75 South Van Brunt Street

Englewood, N.J. 07631

Write now! Before it’s too late!

The EHOA News Bulletin welcomes letters, essays and poems from our membership. We will publish your opinions in our 2002 issues. For privacy reasons you may sign them with your initials if you wish. The contribution on this page was received from one of our members.

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