Every day, people leave their homes with a purpose. Everyone has places to be and responsibilities to attend to. Most, if not all, rely on a single mode of transportation: cars. But it’s worth noticing that students need to take more safety measures while driving as winter approaches.
Several Metea members, including faculty and students, were involved in a car accident at around 7 a.m. on Jan. 6 near the intersection of Eola and Diehl Road. The incident occurred due to insufficient salting of the roads, which contributed to hazardous driving conditions.
“[It] was like a thin sheet of ice on the road,” Principal Daniel DeBruycker said. “[So] when cars were trying to stop, they just [couldn’t].”
According to the School Resource Officer, Jay Leonardi, no one was severely injured due to these events. Although many were directly affected by the crashes, no one individual was at fault. The accidents resulted from insufficient road salt and winter weather conditions.
Junior Zoe Jones, who was one of the victims of this accident recalled the moment when it all happened.
“It was impossible to stop because it was so icy. So [it was] just like a domino effect,” Jones said.
The aftermath of these events had a widespread impact. Students caught in the situation were to remain at the scene alongside the police until they were able to leave.
On the procedures that regard student safety, DeBruycker had to check in with families to ensure that the students get to school and then go to the nurse to check on them.
However, one teacher was also affected by these events, DeBruycker explains the other courses of action taken to both ensure the continuity of the school day and the safety of the faculty member.
“When we found out one of the teachers was going to be late, we worked with the department chair to make sure that we have a substitute in that classroom,” DeBruycker said.
As drivers try to avoid these types of occurrences, Officer Leonardi continues to remind students that safety comes first on the roads, especially regarding irregularities in the weather.
“Whenever you wake up and you see snow on the ground or if you see ice, drive as slow as you can, even if that means you are going to be late to school,” Leonardi said. “I’m sure if you went to a staff member, they would try to work something else so students wouldn’t be reported late.”
“Take your time, be safe, [and] give yourself a little bit of extra time,” DeBruycker said. “We just want people to be safe, especially during the winter weather.”
As inevitable as these accidents are, there are a variety of measures that can be taken to assure more safety while driving.
One of Metea’s driving education teachers, Carla Griffin, spoke on this matter and the importance of maintaining alertness not only while driving, but also before instances of hazardous weather even occur.
“Check the weather before you leave, be in touch with your surroundings,” Griffin said. “Watch the weather the night before if you hear that it’s going to be bad.”
In addition to this, she pointed out six crucial rules that should be followed to lessen the chances of any one person ending up in a crash due to adverse weather conditions.
In 2022, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), listed a total of 298.347 car crashes, of which 20% were listed to have had injuries. Showing the importance of knowing the proper procedures in case of any accidents.
Regarding the possible event that a student is driving over black ice (a phenomenon that leads to a road looking wet instead of being frozen), Griffin advised some tips for dangerous road conditions, common during the winter months.
“Don’t slam on your brakes,” said Griffin. “Sometimes you can just gently apply a little pressure. [If you feel] you’re gonna slide, then you want to steer into the slide with your wheel.”
No matter the type of accident, Griffin highlights the importance of checking in on others in event of an potential collision.
“[A student should] make sure [that] you’re okay and your passengers are okay,” Griffin said. Then you get out of the car, [to] make sure whoever you hit or hit you is okay.”
She also adds that one should take pictures of their vehicle and the position they were in after the incident, remove the cars from the highway, and exchange information. According to the Illinois Department of Insurance all of these are crucial steps for getting a police report, and further on, filing for an insurance report.
Ultimately, a driver must remember “[to] be aware of [their] surroundings, don’t tailgate, take [their] time,and don’t allow distractions to get in the way,” Griffin said.
