Updated on: 2/22/2019
This essay is by Alysia Newton, one of the contestants in Davis Law Group's Law and Justice scholarship essay contest. Alysia is majoring in criminal justice. Her goal is to assist people in disadvantaged neighborhoods by working as a probation officer. Vote for Alysia by visiting Davis Law Group's Facebook page and following the instructions for this essay contest
A safety hazard can be extremely dangerous if not taken care of. In my neighborhood, there are lots and lots of dangerous safety hazards in the streets of Highland. I've seen cars drive over potholes and swerve in the other lane and almost cause an accident. Another time was when my mother in law was driving and she ran over the pothole and it cracked her oil pan leaving her car to mess up. Also, a woman who drove over a pothole got a flat tire and the government agency paid for her new tire when she explained to the government agency that the road was in unstable conditions and the pothole had caused her to get a flat tire. These roads can be very dangerous if not taken care of fight away. It can lead to causing someone to get into a terrible accident leading to injury or even death.
In order to prevent any more dangerous safety hazards in the streets of Inland Empire, calling the government agency is the first step on taking care of the situation. They need to be informed of these road conditions in order to solve the problem. Sometimes it can take quite some time for them to fix the roads. So it's best to spread the word to friends and family on driving safely and cautiously on the road or don't drive on the road at all until the road is fixed. The government agency will get in contact with construction workers or even volunteers to fix these streets. Reporting any dangerous road conditions are the sole responsibility of the government agency and are supposed to take care of the problem. If an accident occurs because of a hazardous road condition, the government agency responsible for maintaining the road may be liable. Other unsafe road conditions that can lead to a car accident can be cracks which can cause a driver to lose control of their car, signs that have fallen or can't be seen, faded markings on signs, inadequate guardrails, poor traffic control in construction zones, etc. “The city, county, or state charged with maintaining the road where your accident occurred may be responsible for any damage caused by poor road conditions. The theory here is, because it is the government’s job to maintain the roads, the government is also responsible for any damage that results when roads aren't kept reasonably safe.” according to a Nolo legal encyclopedia.
Last year, November 23, 2015, I lost my sister in law in a car accident due to poor road conditions. She was on her way back from Vegas and while she was driving in the city of Baker, she drove over an unnoticeable dip that led her to swerve her car onto the other side of the road. She was facing toward oncoming traffic and got into a head on collision with a trailer. Unfortunately, she did not make it. She leaves behind a 5 year old daughter and a 6 year old daughter. Although this has not hurt me physically, it has hurt me mentally to have this happen to her when it could have been prevented. It truly impacted not just my life, but her daughter's and the rest of our family and friends. Life is just not the same without her. My family and I are now more paranoid to drive but we are extremely cautious now.
To prevent such accidents happening in the future, we need more people to call in any hazardous potholes, road damages, or anything that can be dangerous to anyone driving on the road. Call your local city. It can save a life and make a difference. In India, more than 11 accidents occur every minute due to poor road conditions. Every country is indeed different when it comes to the road. But here in America, we need our roads to be extremely safe. Driving safely plus having well safety roads can lead you from point A to B with no problem. Spread the word and make sure to report any dangerous road hazard you feel need to be reported for the city's safety.
SOURCES:
http://www.pajcic.com/potholes-other-hazardous-road-conditions-cause-many-auto-accidents/
http://www.autoinsurance.org/driving-hazards/
http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/vehicle-damage-due-to-poor-road-conditions-who-is-liable.html