Reckless Driving Creates Risk of Injury to Others
Posted by
Fred SchultzJuly 29, 2008 1:13 PMYesterday, an Indianapolis man was stopped by a State Police Trooper for going 127 miles per hour in his Corvette on S.R. 37, and was also driving with a suspended license.
Indiana State Police Trooper Dustin Starnes was patrolling Ind. 37 when he saw the northbound 1989 Corvette traveling 127 mph in a 60 mph zone.
“Before I could get a radar clock on the vehicle, I knew it was going to be extremely fast,” Starnes said of the Thursday incident. “That is the fastest speed I have stopped in the Mustang”.
This is a perfect example of why the Indiana State Police patrols on our state highways are so important to all of us. Trooper Starnes very well may have saved someone's life when he pulled the Corvette over. It's not uncommon for many of us to speed a little bit, even though we know we shouldn't. However, this is simply an unbelievable example of reckless disregard for the safety of others.
We all share the roadway. It's not just what we do that keeps us safe, but what other drivers do as well. At 127 miles per hour, the driver of the Corvette was going too fast to appreciate the movement of other vehicles around him, and he was going too fast for other drivers to make safe decisions because they likely could not appreciate how fast the Corvette was actually traveling. Simple things like changing lanes, or crossing intersections become very hazardous when a vehicle is traveling at such high speeds.
The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, or NHTSA, has determined that aggressive driving, such as what is displayed in this case, is a serious issue that is best addressed at the state and local level. This makes sense, given that most such incidents occur on state and local roadways. The NHTSA recommends strict penalties for reckless driving, and even stricter sentences - including criminal prosecution - when serious injury or death results from reckless driving.
Let's hope that when the driver of the Corvette appears before the judge in Morgan County, he finds out just how stiff those penalties can be.