DawsonTimes.com

Usually this space is reserved for an informative article concerning some aspect of the services we can provide through the funeral home. In addition to owning the funeral home, I am also the coroner of Dawson County. I have been with coroner’s office here almost 20 years and before that I spent a good deal of time assisting in the Medical Examiner’s offices in Fulton and Dekalb counties. In all those years I have been involved with thousands of cases and it causes you to hold a deep appreciation for life and teaches you that anything could happen to any of us at any time. For the past couple of years there has been an unusually high number of traffic related deaths among our youth and that is what I want to address in this article.

Our younger generation is the most precious gift God has allowed us to have. They are a bright, intelligent group with so much energy and the sky is the limit when looking at their potential. In the recent past I have had to handle cases of five young people who were in and out of our home. They were either relatives or friends of my sons. I’m tired of going to the homes of people close to me to tell them one of their children won’t be coming home. I’m tired of talking to parents who are going through a heartache I can’t even imagine the likes of. I’m tired of seeing the lives of parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters changed forever because of an accident.

Most of the accidents are causes by speed, not wearing a seatbelt, or both. Very few of them have been related to alcohol or drugs. We must all work a little harder to instill in our youth the importance of making responsible decisions when driving. There is not one family immune to having this come home to them.

I am asking for your help. Let’s all give our children an extra hug, tell them you love them and constantly remind them of the responsibility that goes with operating a vehicle. Driving is not a right, it is a privilege and we all must obey the laws in place to keep us safe. So many of these accidents are caused by a lack of driving experience. Everyone has to mature into driving and it is our responsibility to make sure they know what the rules are and abide by them.

I would love to know that I would never have to face a family under these circumstances  again. I’m tired and I need your help. Talk to your kids about the responsibilities of safe driving. Visit www.safeteendriver.org or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for information on safe teen driving, how to talk to your kids, and encourage responsible behavior behind the wheel.