The student parking lot has turned into a racetrack to start off the 2003-2004 school year.
To date there have been at least 10 car accidents on school grounds involving students without a valid license, but only a temporary permit, a level one at that.
The speed limit in the parking lot has reached 55 miles per hour when it is supposed to be 10, creating a serious safety hazard.
It’s high time to consider yanking driving privileges of the offenders. Driving privileges are determined by the administration. Officer Ureal Vincent may issue tickets, and with these fast and furious speeds being reached it would seem as if there would be a lot of tickets being handed out. But few students have received punishments due to reckless driving, according to Vincent.
Part of the problem is the lack of monitoring of the parking lot during school hours. Students must worry not only about their cars being robbed, but damaged as well. They also have to worry about ending up in the hospital in a full body cast because someone ignoring the speed limit didn’t watch for pedestrians.
Pedestrians are put in danger when uncertified underclassmen get behind the wheel. That is why seniors and juniors are the only students with the privilege to drive to school. But it seems that administration doesn’t mind underclassmen driving because to date they are still driving to school even after the fact that they have caused so many accidents.
Underclassmen are not following simple rules about driving restrictions at SHS. This makes one wonder how they will survive driving restrictions in the real world. The maturity and responsibility that driving needs comes with age. It is because of this that there are certain boundaries to the privileges given to the student body, like driving privileges. It is obvious from the amount of accidents that the underclassmen who are getting behind the wheel are not mature or responsible enough to have this privilege. Each time the rules are broken, it proves exactly what they do not deserve.
The administration needs to get off the coffee break, tighten security and make students feel safe.