The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration declared the six-day period around Christmas Day as the deadliest time of the year for car accidents. This rang true for Newton High School students. Nearly 20 percent of students reported either being in a car crash themselves or knowing someone who did say the incident occurred during the holiday season.
“I was going to my dance company’s Christmas party,” freshman Kenzi Botterweck said.
Teenage drivers are three times more likely to get into a car crash than people over the age of 20, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a survey sent out to the student body, at least 16 NHS students report being in a car crash and 36 personally know someone who did. However, it is important to note that if a teenager is involved in an accident, their higher probability of being in a car crash does not put them at fault for the accident. Botterweck, for example, was behind the wheel at the time of her accident. However, the crash occurred because of another driver failing to stop at a stop sign, not due to her negligence.
Two of the biggest reasons accidents increase in frequency during the holidays is because of the higher volume of drivers on the roads and difficult weather conditions. Sophomore Braden McBroom learned this first-hand after he suffered an automobile accident when returning home from a church event due to the winter weather.
“Black ice caused me to slide over the highway,” McBroom said. “I wish I had not gone to the event, knowing about the weather”.
There are many possible repercussions for students in the event of a car crash. These include injuries, punishment from parents, the loss of a vehicle, expensive repairs and unwanted attention. However, while all of those consequences can be distressing, injuries from car crashes have the potential to greatly alter the lives of those involved in the crash. According to ValuePenguin, at least one passenger is injured in 43 percent of car crashes. Some of the most common injuries include whiplash and concussions but bigger injuries, while less common, remain significant threats. Unfortunately, one Newton High School student learned this through experience. Sophomore Cadance Santana was injured walking to school by a driver who ran a red light, resulting in her requiring a wheelchair for six months and in a permanent disability that prohibits her from running or swimming.
“The worst part about the experience was breaking my hips and relearning how to walk,” Santana said.
Car accidents can be traumatic for all parties involved. Botterweck, for instance, can still vividly remember the image of blown-up airbags and someone’s yard that she saw at impact. McBroom, too, still feels anxious when driving over bridges, remembering the fear he felt for his brother’s safety during the crash. The anxiety that crashes can create about driving can be debilitating in places, such as Newton, that do not have advanced public transportation. On the other hand, accidents often have the silver lining of making people realize the importance of safe, cautious driving.
“I flinch at intersections now, and I get really nervous. People need to pay attention and actually stop at all stop signs no matter if you are late or not because that’s what happened to me and my family- someone ran the stop sign and hit us,” Botterweck said.