Opinion: Thousands of deadly weapons on the streets of South Lake Tahoe

There are several thousand deadly weapons on the streets of South Lake Tahoe every day.

This may seem like a drastic statement and I want to explain it. I'm not talking about guns or metal clubs, I'm talking about cars.

Have you ever waited at the intersection of Highway 50 and Sierra Blvd? How many times has someone rushed into the intersection against a red light as you were moving with your green light?

How many times have you been driving behind someone who is swerving or not maintaining their lane, making you nervous to pass? But when you do, how many times has that person been on their cell phone?

How many times have you been driving through town when a cyclist or pedestrian makes an unsafe choice on the roadway?

I believe that if everyone starts thinking of a car as a deadly weapon that perhaps these situations will no long occur.

Would you operate a machine gun while texting or talking on a phone? Would you operate a machine gun while drunk? Would you dart in front of a machine gun as it's trigger is about to be pulled? Would you operate a machine gun carelessly and irresponsibly? Would you run in front of a machine gun in the dark?

Most likely, your answer to these questions is "no."

The local man who was hit by an alleged drunk driver as he was crossing Highway 50 at the "Y" on bike earlier this week is just one example what can happen when someone makes the choice of getting behind the wheel. A local child was killed by a car as she waited at the bus stop many years ago. Several people have been hit, and in some cases killed, on South Lake Tahoe roadways as they attempted to cross the road in front of cars.

On a weekly basis there are more DUI arrests in South Lake Tahoe than any other other type of crime. These people are operating deadly weapons while impaired. Do you want to be next to them on the roadway?

In the United States, over 37,000 people die in road crashes each year with an additional 2.35 million injured or disabled. Road crashes cost the U.S. $230.6 billion per year, or an average of $820 per person. Road crashes are the single greatest annual cause of death of healthy U.S. citizens traveling abroad.

My parents taught me to drive a few decades ago, and my mother always said "drive like everyone else is crazy." I've taught my kids the same thing....be aware of everything that is going on around you as your drive and don't assume they're going to act reasonably.

The next time you enter an intersection against a red light think of your car as a deadly weapon. The next time you want to text or use your cell phone while driving, think of your car as a deadly weapon. The next time you decide to drink a few too many, isn't it a smarter choice to decide to not operate a deadly weapon?

Thank you.