Wouldn't it be nice if people didn't have to die in automobile accidents?

I am not naive.

I realize that anytime you place a human being into something made of metal that weighs 3,000 pounds and is capable of traveling 100 miles an hour or so, there's bound to be carnage.

It's inevitable.

What really gnaws at me is how absolutely preventable a couple of recent fatal accidents around here were.

I know people fall asleep at the wheel.

I know people have lapses of attention.

I know people slide on slick roads.

I know people make mistakes.

But running a red light on U.S. 30 or driving at a high rate of speed with a car full of teenagers is just inexcusable behavior.

On May 15, Douglas Raber, 50, of Warsaw, was trying to turn left from Center Street onto westbound U.S. 30.

According to the Warsaw cops, witnesses said a truck driver ran the light, striking Raber's pickup broadside.

Raber, airlifted to Parkview Hospital, died from his injuries a couple days later.

Earlier this week, 19-year-old Tara Likens of North Webster was riding in a small car with five other teenagers.

According to the Kosciusko County cops, the car was traveling at a high rate of speed.

The 17-year-old driver lost control. The car flew into a field and rolled over several times. All six kids were ejected.

Likens, airlifted to Parkview Hospital, died the next morning.

Thankfully, almost amazingly, no one else died in that accident.

So here we have two lives ended under circumstances that were highly preventable.

So what can we do about it?

Do we throw up our hands and just accept the fact that people will die on our highways?

Is that it? I don't think so.

I have some suggestions.

First, as for U.S. 30, I think it's time for the local cops to say enough is enough.

I propose turning U.S. 30 into a zero-tolerance enforcement nightmare zone for drivers.

Red-light cameras are fine, but they aren't nearly as effective as a police cruiser in the median.

On May 15, we would have had a picture of a semi broadsiding a pickup truck.

I propose putting cops all over the place at all hours of the day and night.

I propose them writing so many tickets drivers will be afraid to use that stretch of road.

No warnings.

Truckers will radio each other. Business travelers will talk among themselves at gas stations and restaurants. Locals will quickly comply.

Slowly, over time, the word will get out. Everyone from east to west across Indiana will know that U.S. 30 through Warsaw is a horrible speed trap.

After that, the enforcement can be scaled back, but the presence of police out there must always remain.

If manpower is a problem, hire a couple more cops and assign them strictly to U.S. 30. I think taxpayers would gladly pitch in the additional funds needed for such a project.

I firmly believe it would save lives.

And people who drive irresponsibly must be held accountable.

I propose that our prosecutor look closely at all cases where lives are lost or people are injured because of irresponsible driving.

I propose that he take swift and decisive action in all those cases and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.

Again, over time, people will get the picture. They will know there's a high price to pay in this county for driving irresponsibly.

And they will comply.

Parents of teen drivers should explain to them in no uncertain terms the consequences of irresponsible driving.

Make seat belts and obeying speed limits a condition of their driving privileges.

Ask around to the parents of other kids about your kid's driving.

It's amazing what other kids tell their parents about your kids.

A couple phone calls would probably afford a parent a wealth of information.

Kids who drive fast get a reputation for it. And many times the only people who don't hear about it are the kid's parents.

And, finally, to the kids themselves. You may think you are all that and really are a great driver and can handle any driving situation that arises.

That's just wrong.

Driving is a skill. Just like any other skill, it takes time to acquire it.

Nobody runs the NASCAR Winston Cup as their first race series. Most of them start out on small tracks in go-carts.

What makes you think you can drive like a pro only a few months after getting a license? You can't. It's a simple fact.

You barely have enough experience to keep a car on the road, let alone handle an emergency situation.

And high speeds plus inexperience are a recipe for disaster.

Speed kills. It's a clich, no doubt. But just because it's a clich doesn't mean it's not true.

Of course, all the speeches and enforcement in the world can't prevent all traffic fatalities. Nothing could ever do that. There will always be someone who will drive too fast or drink and drive or run a red light.

But I refuse to believe some of these measures wouldn't help to reduce the number of fatalities our community must endure.

We all take life for granted. We don't like to think about how in the blink of an eye it can end.

It's too late for Tara Likens and Douglas Raber and the many before them who have died because of irresponsible drivers.

But it's not too late for the rest of us. Drive responsibly. Make your kids drive responsibly.

Because the next victim could be you or me. [[In-content Ad]]