D Dennison is Sick and Tired of Fatalities on Northern Colorado Roadways [EDITORIAL]

I try so hard to just do my job, let you know about what's going on in the community, both the good and the bad, but the madness has got to end. I am sick and tired of talking and writing about roadway fatalities in Northern Colorado.

I tried to ignore a story that hit the Coloradoan Wednesday, but couldn't. I don't know if it was the title, the accident or the presumed lack of care anyone has for anyone else.

I have some dear friends who share the loss of a child and my heart goes out daily to their family. And if they see this, I feel I must say that I mean no offense, I mean no disrespect-ever. And with that said, I completely agree with you and your cause. As my James would say after I say something like that, 'here comes the but!"

But... I'm tired of that being the title of a fatal accident, like that is the cause of the accident, oh it may well be the cause of the death, I can almost guarantee that without a seat belt in a head on crash, you will not survive. But, again I say... it almost seems like we need to make the seat belt the cause, the perpetrator or the angel of death. Big news here... it plays a huge roll, I will not deny that, but it's how we drive that is the cause, the perpetrator and angel of death.

Today I read that three people are dead, one in critical condition and one in fair condition after a head-on crash northwest of Fort Collins Tuesday night. The youngest victim of the crash was 25-years-old and the eldest was 64. All parties of the crash were from Denver, Greeley and Fort Collins.

At the end of the day, distracted driving has become the serial killer of our friends, families, children and parents.

As most of you know, I lost my 17-year-old daughter, Ashley and 16-year-old son, Colton to a head-on collision with a semi two years ago. The lack of driving experience and distractions within the vehicle itself claimed the life of my babies, they are forever gone... why? I've said it before and still believe it today, I believe they were fighting over the radio station or cd. I cannot imagine anything else, I knew them well, they were distracted and they died. They were wearing their seat belts, the trauma to their brains is what really did it, my James says maybe we should consider wearing helmets in cars and not just on motorcycles.

In the story that I read today the driver of a truck failed to navigate a curve properly, that is what it said in the Coloradoan, I mean no blame or tsk tsk, things happen, but the only time that I have failed to navigate a curve properly, well, there are three... I was emotional, even crying... I didn't pay attention to the suggested speed limit... and I was tired. All could fall under the title of distracted driving.

Non of us are perfect drivers 100-perccent of the time, but we need to work on being better drivers than what we are today. We can protect ourselves with our seat belts, watching our speeds, our recklessness and our distractions. Keep in mind that not only do the people out there with you driving six-thousand pound weapons are important to others, so are you.

I beg you to drive safely... what's the hurry and do you really care while traveling at 75 miles an hour what 'Sara' is having for dinner?