The notion of sticking inexperienced drivers into close proximity, and letting them enter and flee campus with little to no guidance is regarded as not a wise choice, but it is often the one schools have to choose. However, the repercussions that follow are usually ones that involve cars– specifically cars that hit one another. Of course, the situations that students can fall into can be tricky, considering that it is not uncommon to know the people that they have gotten into an accident with.
“I would say three to five a year would be an average of the accidents we have. Currently, we have had no accidents this year,” Matthew Ambrose, assistant principal, said.
Commonly, students park in the designated parking lots that are only allowed for those who paid for a parking pass for the year, or they can try to find street parking close to the school. It is up for debate which parking lot is the safer one to leave.
“I use the parking lot by the football field because it is easier to get out of compared to the other one,” Mckenna Ignasak, junior, said.
There has always been debate on which lot is the better option. Between arguing about the traffic, or the types of drivers encountered in the respective parking lots, some just chose the more logical choice.
“I use the lot across the school because it’s closer to my house; there’s no other option, really,” Reese Vayda, junior, said.
Regardless of their choice, both groups of students can agree that the parking lots aren’t always the safest for their vehicles. Door dings, scratches, and other small car damages are unfortunately common. However, larger and more costly damages have occurred on campus.
“I was pulling out of the parking lot when I hit my friend. She was trying to be funny and stayed at the stop sign, so I tried going around her, but she went suddenly and hit the back right side of my car. In the end, she had to get a new bumper,” Aidan Ramirez, junior, said.
Some intersections around campus are also notorious for causing accidents between students.
“I got into an accident at the stop sign between Fort Beggs and River Road. That stop is really bad because you have people from all exits and it gets very confusing,” Abby Timm, senior, said.
There has been much debate on what could be done to prevent the chaos that ensues after school, including adding another parking lot. But, many students disagree with that idea.
“I think adding another lot will just cause more traffic around the school. It’ll make things even more crazy before and after school,” Ignasak said.
Of course, there are ways to solve these issues which are usually caused by texting and driving according to other students and teachers, or other distractions away from the road.
“I would say to slow down and stay off of their phones,” Ambrose said.