Inside City Hall: Summer's soon here; slow down, stay focused behind the wheel

With summer fast approaching, I want to remind everyone about the importance of pedestrian and traffic safety. Sety is important all your round, but the warm weather enables and inspires us to be more active and move about more. Consequently, there are more pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles traveling about. With the increased activity there is a greater risk of accidents. In a brief moment of distraction, you or someone else could be hurt unnecessarily. We all need to stay focused, slow down, and take the time to know our surroundings as we traverse Brandon and beyond. It is all too easy to get in a rush, get distracted, or in a lapse of judgment make a mistake, which could harm us. To me, it would even be worse to get in a rush, get distracted, or make a mistake and thereby cause someone else to get injured.

We all need to do our part to mitigate the risk to ourselves and others. Mistakes and accidents happen, but with diligence and attention we can minimize the opportunity for harm. Here are just a few things we can do:

• Slow down;

• Watch for pedestrians;

• Wear bike helmets;

• Utilize sidewalks where available;

• Properly utilize child restraint seats;

• Teach our kids to watch for cars and not play in the street.

Over the past several weeks most of us have driven less and there have been fewer cars on the road. Ironically, throughout the country, law enforcement has seen a spike in vehicles driving at high rates of speed. As summer approaches, these increased speeds bring even greater danger as Americans try to get out and enjoy their summers. On average, approximately 40,000 people a year die in the United States from car accidents. I know none of us want to be, in any way, a part of those negative statistics.
With everyone’s cooperation and heightened awareness, we can mitigate the risk. Slow down, watch for pedestrians, and be extra cautious in construction zones, I hear we might have a few of those around here (LOL).

Carol and I hope you have a safe and fun-filled summer!