News from the bottom of the barrel...
It is heartening to see the newly-formed Childcare Services Committee
of the Estes Park Economic Development Corporation soliciting public
input for ways to better protect and nurture our children, obviously our
most precious natural resource.
As most people know, the leading cause of death among children older than 1 year in the United States is motor-vehicle crashes, with alcohol-impaired drivers involved in 25% of these deaths. However, what is perhaps more surprising is that in the majority of cases, the child is in the same car with the impaired driver, and generally not restrained in a child-safety seat. The incidence of children killed by a unrelated drunk driver as pedestrians occurs less frequently (22% of the 8500 fatalities recorded in a 10-year period), and children killed by a unrelated drunk driver while on their bicycles even less so (8%).
605 people were killed on Colorado roads last year, with 30% of these deaths involving drugs or alcohol. Obviously, it is difficult for impaired drivers to focus on buckling up their children, so the responsibility for protecting these vulnerable younger individuals falls on the businesses selling or serving alcohol, as well as education programs and PSAs which discourage drinking and driving, and encourage the use of public transportation after drinking or getting high (in the case of Estes Park, this would be restricted to taxis or similar drivers for hire, as the shuttle system does not run late enough in the evening or consistently enough on holidays, when most of the heavy socially-acceptable drinking occurs, to be of much use).
Over the last decade, an average of 40+ pedestrians in Colorado were killed each year by drivers, drunk or sober. Even one loss of life due to a young pedestrian being hit or run over by a motor vehicle is a horrific event, and Estes Park is not immune from the trauma of seeing toddlers getting run over in the McDonald’s parking lot, although our local papers have generally done a good job of covering it up, so as not to alarm the tourists or make their vacations depressing.
So good on you, EDC, keep on keeping our children safe. The Colorado director of Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Fran Lanzer, is on record as opposing bills allowing local bars to stay open past 2:00 a.m. We strongly agree, and wonder if Estes Park's under-16 youth should even be allowed to stay out drinking that late.
As most people know, the leading cause of death among children older than 1 year in the United States is motor-vehicle crashes, with alcohol-impaired drivers involved in 25% of these deaths. However, what is perhaps more surprising is that in the majority of cases, the child is in the same car with the impaired driver, and generally not restrained in a child-safety seat. The incidence of children killed by a unrelated drunk driver as pedestrians occurs less frequently (22% of the 8500 fatalities recorded in a 10-year period), and children killed by a unrelated drunk driver while on their bicycles even less so (8%).
605 people were killed on Colorado roads last year, with 30% of these deaths involving drugs or alcohol. Obviously, it is difficult for impaired drivers to focus on buckling up their children, so the responsibility for protecting these vulnerable younger individuals falls on the businesses selling or serving alcohol, as well as education programs and PSAs which discourage drinking and driving, and encourage the use of public transportation after drinking or getting high (in the case of Estes Park, this would be restricted to taxis or similar drivers for hire, as the shuttle system does not run late enough in the evening or consistently enough on holidays, when most of the heavy socially-acceptable drinking occurs, to be of much use).
Over the last decade, an average of 40+ pedestrians in Colorado were killed each year by drivers, drunk or sober. Even one loss of life due to a young pedestrian being hit or run over by a motor vehicle is a horrific event, and Estes Park is not immune from the trauma of seeing toddlers getting run over in the McDonald’s parking lot, although our local papers have generally done a good job of covering it up, so as not to alarm the tourists or make their vacations depressing.
So good on you, EDC, keep on keeping our children safe. The Colorado director of Mother’s Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Fran Lanzer, is on record as opposing bills allowing local bars to stay open past 2:00 a.m. We strongly agree, and wonder if Estes Park's under-16 youth should even be allowed to stay out drinking that late.
Newly-formed EDC Childcare Services Committee.
One hopes the empty chair symbolizes those children
whose lives are senselessly cut short in Colorado
due to impaired drivers.
One hopes the empty chair symbolizes those children
whose lives are senselessly cut short in Colorado
due to impaired drivers.
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